Silver Lining
by NetRaptor
Summary: Sonic and Sally go hunting for a green chaos emerald. But along the way they run into a rabbit named Cream, and Robo Knux gone mad.
1. Chapter 1: The Mission

**25. Silver Lining: Part 1: The Mission**

  


by NetRaptor1

  
Silver Lining  
  
By K. M. Hollar  
_________________________  
Copyright info: Sonic and related characters copyrighted by Sega. Destro the fox   
copyrighted by Destro, used by request, with permission. Zephyer copyrighted by   
K.M. Hollar. This story copyrighted 2003 by K. M. Hollar.  
  
If you want to use the concept of chaos fields as presented in this story,   
please put a disclaimer in your fan fiction saying who thought it up.  
________________________  
  
Stay for a while  
When it's good to see your smile  
And I love your company  
Stay for a while  
And remember the days gone by  
For a moment it can seem  
Just the way it used to be.  
  
--Stay for a while, Amy Grant  
  
________________________  
  
Part 1: The Mission  
________________________  
  
"Gee whiz, Knux," said Sonic, staring into the derobotizer room. The hedgehog   
had opened the door to find a mass of machinery lying across the doorway like a   
barricade. "Knux?" Sonic called, peering over the mess. "Are you in there?" The   
rest of the room looked like a tornado had hit--machine parts lay everywhere,   
jumbled together in heaps. There was a hole in the floor and ceiling where the   
derobotizer had been.  
  
At Sonic's call there came a grunt and Knuckles stepped into view, rubbing his   
eyes. "What do you want, Sonic?"  
  
"Did you stay here all night?" Sonic asked.  
  
"Yes," snapped Knuckles. The echidna's face and dreadlocks were stained with   
grease, and the dark hollows under his eyes showed he had not slept in some   
time.   
  
Sonic felt sorry for him. "I just wanted to see what you'd been doing. Junking   
the derobotizer, looks like."  
  
"No," said Knuckles, "I've been rebuilding it." He grabbed the thing lying in   
front of the door and dragged it aside. Sonic recognized it as part of the   
machine's circular base. "Don't touch anything," said Knuckles, "especially not   
that." He pointed at a flat disk wrapped in a towel in the corner. It was the   
terbium crystal lens, the secret ingredient that made the derobotizer work.  
  
Sonic looked in disbelief at the chaos around him. "You want me to get Tails or   
Rotor to help you?"  
  
"No," growled Knuckles. "I can do this."  
  
"Any luck with the biometal?"  
  
The red echidna pointed at a dark stain on the floorboards. "That's all it does.   
It converts to chemicals and either catches fire or melts."  
  
Both of which would kill Zephyer, who had been robotized with a biometal   
prototype.  
  
Knuckles sat on an upside-down housing panel and held his head in his hands. "I   
have a killer headache."  
  
"Get an aspirin," said Sonic. "Have you tried my belt yet?"  
  
"I tried it last night," said Knuckles without looking up. "It's on the console   
if you want it back. The super emeralds weren't meant for interacting with   
machinery--I tried them one by one. The violet one made the metal catch fire,   
and the rest made my head hurt."  
  
Sonic picked up his belt and examined it for scratches. The belt and its seven   
glowing stones were unharmed, so he buckled it around his waist. It became   
invisible as soon as he fastened the catch.  
  
"I wish I had a chaos emerald," said Knuckles, lifting his head. "You sure you   
don't know what happened to them?"  
  
"I was in space, being blasted by chaos energy," said Sonic, folding his arms.   
"I wasn't paying attention to where the emeralds went."  
  
There was a brief silence, and Knuckles massaged his forehead.  
  
Sonic picked up a scrap of biometal and looked at it. "What about the Master   
Emerald?"  
  
"There's no way to bring it here without endangering the Floating Island," said   
Knuckles. "I don't think it'd work, anyway. I need the green chaos emerald."  
  
"Why that one?"  
  
"Healing powers." Knuckles looked up at the hedgehog. "If I can heal her as I   
derobotize her, she might have a chance."  
  
Might have a chance? Sonic looked at the biometal scrap. No one had said   
anything about the derobotization process being fatal. He had been friends with   
Zephyer for years, and it scared him to think she might die.  
  
Someone knocked on the door. "Come in," said Knuckles.  
  
The door opened and a female echidna peered in, a look of shock on her face.   
"Good grief Knuckles! What did you do to the derobotizer?"  
  
Knuckles got up and went to clear a path for Zephyer through the mess. Sonic   
found himself staring at the metal encasing her from the neck down. Taking it   
off her could be fatal.  
  
Zephyer's eyes were fixed on Knuckles as he dragged things aside. "Knux," she   
said, and he looked at her. She glared at him. "When was the last time you   
slept?"  
  
"Last night," he said.   
  
"Don't lie to me," said Zephyer, folding her arms. "You've been in here for   
three solid days!"  
  
"I'm doing this for you," snapped Knuckles, who between a headache and lack of   
sleep was in a terrible mood.  
  
Zephyer came right back at him. "Killing yourself won't help me. Look at you,   
you aren't even thinking straight anymore! Get out of here and get some sleep."  
  
"I swear, Zephyer," said Knuckles, clenching his fists, "one of these days..."  
  
She stood aside and pointed at the door. He left, slamming the door behind him.  
  
"I can't believe you're actually going to marry him," said Sonic. "Aren't you   
afraid he'll punch you?"  
  
"That's like asking if you'd ever spindash me," said Zephyer, picking her way   
through the tangled equipment. "You don't understand echidnas. We fight. If we   
don't, we're not happy." She uncovered the terbium lens and looked at it. "Why   
isn't he using this?"  
  
"Don't ask me, I'm not a mechanic," said Sonic. "He told me that so far the   
biometal either burns or melts."  
  
She bit her lip. "I knew it wouldn't be easy. He won't be able to do it."  
  
Sonic stood up. "I'm going to run back to Knothole. I'll bet Tails would have   
some ideas, he helped build this thing."  
  
As he made for the door, Zephyer said, "It'll kill me, won't it?"  
  
Sonic hesitated, then left without answering. This was between her and Knuckles,   
and Sonic didn't want to hurt her any more.  
  
The derobotizer was built inside a tree house thirty feet from the ground. It was   
part of a tree house village known as Eagle's Nest, and was built in the tops of   
the tallest trees in the Great Forest. It had been Knothole's secondary village   
for years, and now that Knothole was a bustling town with several hundred   
people, many of the original Freedom Fighters had moved to Eagle's Nest for some   
peace and quiet. Sonic was one of these, and it gave him an excuse to run if he   
wanted to visit Knothole.  
  
Like now. He galloped down the trail from Eagle's Nest, cutting corners and   
keeping an eye out for pedestrians. He had once mowed down three people, and the   
resulting scandal had been the reason he moved to Eagle's Nest. This time he   
avoided two people and skidded onto a Knothole side street with a grin. The more   
dangerous his run, the better he liked it.  
  
Tails still lived in Knothole. His workshop and airstrip were there, and he did   
a bit of mechanic work on the side, fixing the hover cars and appliances of the   
people who came through on their way to New Mobitropolis. Sonic dropped by   
Tails's workshop and tried the door, but it was locked. There was no sign of   
Tails inside, so Sonic guessed he must be out somewhere and did a quick check of   
possible locations. No Tails. So Sonic went hunting for Sally.  
  
He found her in her hut, surrounded by paperwork and looking exhausted. Sonic   
hated intruding on her work, but he never got the chance to talk to her anymore.   
"Hi Sal," he said, knocking on her open window.  
  
She looked up. "What?"  
  
"Do you know where Tails is?"  
  
"Yes, he's in New Mobitropolis. He did somebody a favor and they're paying him   
back."  
  
"A favor, cool," said Sonic, looking at the papers on Sally's desk. "You ought   
to come outside. It's a beautiful day. The sun's actually shining for once."  
  
Sally looked at him, then motioned to her desk. "I can't, Sonic. I have too much   
work to do."  
  
Sonic sighed and turned away. Sometimes he wished Robotnik were still in power,   
so Sally would go on missions with him instead of spending her days locked away   
with her political red tape.  
  
Sonic jogged out of Knothole and onto the newly paved road that led to New   
Mobitropolis. He crouched for a moment, bracing his feet as if to start a race;   
then rocketed away, the wind in his wake sucking leaves from the roadsides. Some   
days speed was his only friend.  
  
New Mobitropolis consisted of three blocks of houses and one block of small   
businesses. Knothole had the larger population, but New Mobitropolis adjoined   
two highways and the Great River, making it the ideal location for a capital   
city. Even after its destruction, people wanted to return and resume business,   
and the two recycling plants that had set up were going great guns.  
  
Sonic trotted down the single main street toward the business district, keeping   
an eye out for Tails. He wasn't on the street, so Sonic slowed down and looked   
in the windows of each store as he passed. To his surprise, he located Tails   
inside an upholstery shop.  
  
He walked in and was struck by the odors of vinyl and leather. A black bear was   
cutting out a long strip of leather, and Tails was seated in front of a sewing   
machine bigger than he was, stitching together what looked like a net.  
  
"Hey Tails," said Sonic, gazing at a half-dismantled hover car with its seats   
sitting on the floor. "I didn't know we had a place like this in New   
Mobitropolis."  
  
"Hi Sonic," said Tails without taking his eyes from the flashing needle. "Gus is   
showing me how to do upholstery."  
  
"Yeah," rumbled the bear. "Tails repaired my other sewing machine, so I thought   
I'd show him the ropes. I doubt he'll learn anything, though."  
  
"Gus is never happy," said Tails. "Don't mind him. I'll be able to redo the   
Cyclone's seats now. The vinyl was getting cracked along the sides." He pulled   
the tangle of leather straps from the sewing machine and held it up. "Look what   
I made you, Sonic!"  
  
"Thanks, little bro," said Sonic, looking blank. "Is it a parachute?"  
  
"No, no," said Tails. "Let me put it on you, you'll understand once it's on."  
  
Sonic stood still and let Tails buckle the mass of straps around him. It felt   
like a backpack, for a mass of weave covered his back, and it buckled across his   
chest and waist. "There!" said Tails, snapping the last catch and standing back.   
"How's it feel?"  
  
Sonic took a few steps. "It feels like I'm wearing a harness. What's it for?"  
  
"You remember how you'd carry me piggyback and run really fast?" Tails said.   
"This is so you can carry somebody without their arms and legs getting tired."  
  
"Oh, I get it," said Sonic. "It's a hedgehog saddle!"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
Sonic plucked at a strap. "Want to try it out?"  
  
Tails's face lit up, and he climbed onto Sonic's back, slipping his arms and   
legs through loops in the harness. "I also made a seatbelt back here," said   
Tails, fastening it around his waist. "But if you spindash, whoever's back here   
gets ground to hamburger."  
  
"I'll keep that in mind," said Sonic. He walked out of the shop, carrying Tails   
on his back, and jogged down the street. "This is like wearing you as a   
backpack." Before Tails could respond, Sonic reached the end of the street and   
opened the throttle.  
  
Sonic decided to test the strength of his harness, so he raced across the fields   
and plunged into the woods, weaving between the trees at eighty miles an hour.   
Tails clung to Sonic instinctively, harness notwithstanding. The leather   
stretched and creaked, but it fit so snugly it did not chafe.  
  
Sonic ran back to New Mobitropolis, but stopped a short distance from the road   
to cool down and let Tails recover.  
  
"Helmet," panted the fox. "Forgot about wind speed."  
  
"Helmet?" said Sonic, walking and glad Tails was so light. "Wasn't I careful to   
dodge all the brush?"  
  
"Yeah, but I can't breathe when you go that fast," said Tails. "I don't know how   
you do."  
  
"I never thought about it," said Sonic with a shrug. "I didn't come out here to   
test your inventions, you know."  
  
"You didn't?" said Tails, feigning shock.  
  
"Knux needs a chaos emerald to derobotize Zeff. Any ideas on tracking one   
down?"  
  
Tails was quiet a moment. "I have a tracker, but it's not very strong. You'd   
have to be within fifty feet, and that doesn't help much. We had the emeralds in   
the village so long I never built a stronger one."  
  
"Could you build a stronger one? Maybe one that could distinguish colors?"  
  
"What color do you need?"  
  
"Green."  
  
Tails was silent a few minutes as Sonic walked onto the road and turned toward   
town. "You know, you should ask Sally."  
  
"Why Sally?" said Sonic. Tails didn't answer. Sonic turned his head, trying to   
see the fox's face. Tails was smiling. "What? What about Sally?"  
  
"I promised not to tell," said Tails.  
  
Sonic's eyes narrowed. "I could go find her, and you'd have to go with me."  
  
"No, don't!" Tails fumbled with the harness. "Let me down. I need to get back to   
Gus."  
  
"Yeah, right," said Sonic, but he let Tails dismount. "And take the saddle off,   
will you? It's hot."  
  
"Will do." Tails unclasped the harness and pulled it off. "I think I need to   
make the padding wider, it was digging into me." He grinned at Sonic. "See you   
later."  
  
"Yeah," said Sonic, peering at him. "You sure you meant Sally?"  
  
Tails only winked and walked off.  
  


* * *

  
  
The village of Carrotseed was a quiet place, built on the plains of Central   
Mobius. With the ocean to three sides and the mountains of North Mobius to the   
north, it had temperate weather and was good farm country. In the ports ships   
came and went, and the occasional human vessel arrived with goods to trade, but   
inland life was quiet.  
  
A few miles north of Carrotseed was a private airbase. It was ringed with barbed   
wire fences and patrolled constantly by guard robots. No one cared to venture   
close, although lately the tailfins of huge aircraft had begun to tower into the   
sky. Smaller aircraft constantly flew in with supplies and materials.  
  
This had been going on for eight years, and the inhabitants of the land   
roundabout had ceased to pay attention to it. Giant ships were always being   
built--the last one was a monstrous airborne aircraft carrier.  
  
Thus it was that when a single robot crept out of the airbase and attacked   
Carrotseed, the inhabitants were taken by surprise.  
  
It was a red robot patterned after an echidna, and it proceeded in a leisurely   
fashion, killing anyone it caught, and torching houses and stores with a   
flame-thrower mounted in one arm. It laughed at the local police and ignored   
their warning laser blasts.  
  
A young rabbit and her mother ran from their home and fled into the fields. The   
mother carried a homemade rail gun over one shoulder, and the daughter carried a   
chao in one arm. The two ran hand in hand, their town rising in smoke behind   
them. Once they stopped for breath, and the young rabbit looked back with wide   
eyes. "Mom, what about everybody else? Will they be okay?"  
  
"Yes honey," her mother reassured her, but she loaded the rail gun with one hand.   
"We're going to the field warren, we'll be safe there."  
  
They jogged on, often looking over their shoulders. The chao clung to his young   
mistress without a sound, but he felt the air around them crackling with chaos   
energy. Both rabbits were upset, the young one especially. He tried to calm her,   
but today her aura was too intense for him. He hoped there were no machines in   
the field warren.  
  
They arrived at a dry irrigation ditch with a high bank on the far side. Dug   
into the bank were three large holes, and the rabbits dove into them. They   
followed the main tunnel down to a wide cavern, and there they paused to rest.   
There were no lights, but the young rabbit's chaos aura was so strong she was   
surrounded by a faint yellow glow.  
  
"Cream," said her mother, "you need to calm down."  
  
"Mom, I'm scared," squeaked the rabbit. Her mother sat down on the floor and   
laid the rail gun aside. Cream climbed into her lap, holding her chao. Eva could   
feel the chaos tingling inside her daughter like electricity, and knew that if   
Cream did not calm down, she might make the burrow collapse on their heads.  
  
Eva held Cream and rocked back and forth, humming. Slowly the anxious yellow   
glow faded, and darkness enfolded them.   
  
"I wish Daddy was here," whispered Cream.  
  
"Your Dad's on a business trip," said Eva. "He won't be happy about this, I'm   
sure." She continued to rock and hum.  
  
Had the pair lived three hundred years earlier, they would have been considered   
witches or chaos warriors. But because of modern science, everyone knew that   
Eva's body absorbed the local chaos field. On the opposite end of the spectrum,   
Cream emitted chaos energy in huge amounts, and she had been banned from   
touching a computer since birth. In a desperate attempt to regulate her power,   
her parents adopted a chao for her. This chao developed the ability to moderate   
Cream's disruptions, and as long as he was with her, Cream could enter the same   
room as electronics equipment without breaking anything.  
  
As she rocked, Eva kept one ear tuned for any suspicious noises from the   
entrance. Her ears did not stand up very well, for she was a 'lop', but she   
could prop one up if she needed to listen. Her daughter had inherited her   
lop-ears, but one of her ears could stand up like her father's.  
  
Footsteps outside. Eva carefully laid Cream on the floor, noting with relief   
that she had fallen asleep. The chao stirred, and Eva whispered, "Watch her,   
Cheese." She picked up the rail gun and flicked a switch to charge it, then she   
slipped up the tunnel toward the entrance.  
  
Cheese sat in the stuffy darkness within the burrow, snuggled against Cream, but   
listening for sounds from above. For a while all was dead silence. Then he heard   
the shriek of the rail gun fairing, and a muffled shout from outside. Then   
nothing.  
  
The chao sat in the darkness beside his mistress, torn between loyalty to Cream   
and longing to know what had happened outside. Eva didn't come back.  
  
A little later Cream awoke. Cheese was sitting inside one of her enormous ears,   
and she knew he was keeping watch. "Cheese?" she yawned. "Where's Mom?"  
  
"I think she went back to help," said Cheese, keeping an eye on Cream's aura.   
The chaos field was visible to him, and he saw it as a colored mist hovering   
around people. His young mistress had a strong one, and it changed colors and   
swirled according to her moods. Right now it was small and moving slowly.  
  
"By the way," said Cheese, "today my name is Monty."  
  
"Your name is Cheese," said Cream, shaking him out of her ear and swinging it   
over her shoulder.  
  
"Yes, but what kind of cheese?" said the chao, folding his stubby arms.   
"Mozzarella? Cheddar? Swiss?"  
  
"Monterey Jack," said Cream, grinning.  
  
"Right," said the chao. "So call me Monty."  
  
"You change your name too much," said Cream. "And you don't look like a Monty."  
  
"I don't look like a cheese, either! I'm the wrong color."  
  
"There's blue cheese..."  
  
"Oh, can it."  
  
"Do you hear something?" Cream pricked up her strong ear. "Something's outside.   
It's walking around."  
  
Cheese--or Monty--listened, but couldn't hear anything. Cream got up and felt   
her way toward the entrance. Monty hung back. "Cream, don't go up there. What if   
it's that robot hunting for us?"  
  
"It might be Mom," said Cream. "I just want to look out. Is there anything wrong   
with that?"  
  
"You might get spotted," grumbled Monty, but he followed her up the tunnel.  
  
The irrigation ditch was empty. Cream crouched and listened, her strong ear   
swiveling this way and that like a satellite dish. Monty pressed up behind her   
and peered out, nervously stroking and soothing her aura to keep it quiet.  
  
"Do you feel anything?" she whispered.  
  
"Yes," he whispered back. "Somebody's really close."  
  
Cream poked her head out of the burrow to look up and down the ditch, and   
gasped. A short way up the ditch was a fallen figure. "Chee--I mean Monty,   
look!"  
  
The chao crawled out and followed her gaze. "Uh oh!"  
  
"He's not a robot, is he?"  
  
"No," said Monty, squinting. He had been afraid that Eva had been hurt, but that   
figure was too big for Eva. As they watched it, it rocked to and fro and moaned   
in pain.  
  
"It's a survivor!" exclaimed Cream, and bolted from the burrow.   
  
Monty ran after her. "Cream, wait! There might be blood!"  
  
The figure was a burly fox in armor, and he had been shot in the stomach. There   
was blood all right, and Cream gasped and turned her back--she turned faint over   
a paper cut, and this was much worse.  
  
But Monty was made of stronger stuff, and he looked closely at the dying fox.   
The size of the wound made it look like he had been shot by a rail gun. But why?   
Was he an enemy? As Monty watched, a shred of Cream's chaos aura tore free and   
was sucked into the fox.  
  
"Monty, what are you looking at?" asked Cream. "I want to go back to the   
burrow."  
  
"He's absorbing your aura," said the chao. "I've never seen that before."  
  
"He's what?" said Cream, turning around and looking at the fox.  
  
The fox's eyes opened, and for a moment he gazed up at the rabbit above him. She   
returned his gaze, speechless. He held out one gloved hand and whispered,   
"Please help me."  
  
Cream thought he wanted to get up, so she grabbed his hand and tried to lift   
him. "Don't touch him!" cried Monty, but he was too late. The fox seized Cream's   
hand in both of his and clung to her, gasping.  
  
"Let go!" squealed Cream. "You're hurting me!"  
  
Monty watched as Cream's aura flamed up in greenish-yellow shades of terror, and   
was sucked into the fox like water into a sponge. The terrible wound in his   
belly began to heal. "Monty, help me!" cried Cream, trying to break out of the   
fox's grasp.  
  
"Wait a minute!" said Monty, running to her. "He's absorbing your chaos field   
and healing himself! Look!" Cream saw the wound was closing. In a few more   
seconds it had closed and only a jagged scar remained.  
  
The fox opened his eyes and released Cream's hand. She sprang away and stood   
watching him from a safe distance. The fox sat up and rubbed his stomach. He   
wore armor over his upper torso, but had been shot just where it ended. "I'm   
alive," he said, marveling. He climbed to his feet and said, "Thank you, young   
lady." In the same breath, he looked up at the sky and said, "And thank you for   
sending her to me."  
  
"I heard a sound, and I came to look," said Cream. "Are you from Carrotseed?"  
  
"No," said the fox. "But I saw what happened. I was pursuing the robot when I   
was intercepted by friendly fire." He rubbed his middle again. "I'm Destro."  
  
"I'm Cream," said the rabbit, "and this is my chao, Monty Jack Cheese."  
  
Monty was more interested in Destro's wound. "Friendly fire, you said?"  
  
"Yes," said Destro, looking down. "She fired just as I passed in front of the   
robot."  
  
Cream blanched. "It was my mom, wasn't it?"  
  
Destro shrugged and turned away. "I must be going. Farewell, Cream and Monty."  
  
"No, wait!" said Cream, but she was interrupted as Monty gave a cry of terror.   
Cream spun around and gasped. Standing on top of the bank was the killer robot,   
its green eyes glittering in malice.  
  
Cream snatched up her chao and backed away, her aura flaming yellow with violet   
borders and flecks--fear bordering on hysteria. The robot sprang off the bank,   
landed on the floor of the ditch, and paced toward her like a hungry panther.   
"Destro!" Cream cried.  
  
The robot paused, its eyes focusing on the fox behind her. The armored fox   
walked up behind Cream, and she heard a ringing rasp as he drew his sword.   
"Be gone, monster."  
  
The robot crouched and brandished the eight-inch spikes welded to its fists.   
"You want to fight me hand to hand?" it hissed.   
  
Destro stepped in front of Cream, who retreated, clutching Monty and watching,   
wide-eyed. Destro did not answer.  
  
"Very well," said the robot. "I haven't had a good hand to hand fight in a   
while." It sprang forward. Destro swung, and there was a crash of sparks. The   
robot whirled and slashed with both claws at Destro, who parried the blows with   
his blade.  
  
Suddenly the robot leaped away and stood still a second, its head turned as if   
listening. Then it said, "Consider our little battle postponed." It fired up its   
engines and rocketed out of the ditch. They listened to it fade into the   
distance, and Destro re-sheathed his sword. He turned to Cream, just as she ran   
to him and flung her arms around his waist, sobbing.  
  


* * *

  
  
Sonic looked through the window into Sally's hut. She was still hunched over her   
desk, head in one hand, filling out paperwork. He knocked on the window frame.  
  
"What, Sonic?" she asked without looking up.  
  
"Get a secretary," said Sonic. "Can I come in?"  
  
"No," said Sally, so Sonic opened the door and walked in.   
  
"I need a way to track chaos emeralds, and Tails said to ask you about it."  
  
Sally studied him. "Why do you need to track a chaos emerald?"  
  
"Knux is trying to derobotize Zephyer, and he needs the green one to keep her   
alive," said Sonic.  
  
Sally gazed at him a long moment, then said, "You mean it'll kill her to   
derobotize her?"  
  
"That's what Knux thinks."  
  
Sally looked down at her papers and sighed. "I knew I'd have to show it to you   
someday." She opened a drawer in her desk and removed a small box. She opened it   
and took out various parts, and assembled them with the ease of long practice.   
  
Sonic watched over her shoulder. "What is that?"  
  
"Rotor built this for me after you got your belt, and later Tails modified it to   
utilize a satellite," said Sally. "This is a tracking device for chaos energy."   
The squirrel smiled at the look of shock on Sonic's face. "I had to keep tabs on   
you somehow, since I wasn't going on missions with you anymore."  
  
"Why didn't you ever tell me about it?" yelped Sonic.  
  
"I know you," said Sally. "You'd brag that your friends had built the most   
powerful emerald tracker on Mobius, and a week later you'd have treasure hunters   
lined up to steal it."  
  
"I won't tell anybody about it," said Sonic. "How does it work?"  
  
"I have to plug in Nicole," said Sally. She removed her battered palmtop   
computer from a drawer, and plugged Nicole's input slot into a port on the side   
of the tracker. The tracker itself was a flat box with a screen, and a little   
satellite dish mounted on one end. "Nicole," said Sally, "uplink to local   
satellite using chaos tracker."  
  
"Affirmative, Sally," said the computer. The little dish swiveled back and forth   
until it located a signal, then Nicole announced, "Connection established."  
  
"We're online, Sonic," said Sally. "What do you want to see?"  
  
"The location of the green chaos emerald," said Sonic. "I'm worried they're in   
orbit or jumped dimensions or something."  
  
"Locate green chaos emerald by field signature," said Sally. As the computer   
worked, she said, "All the emeralds affect Mobius's chaos field differently.   
When we had all of them here, I logged each signature, so now I'll be able to   
distinguish each emerald."  
  
"You hope."  
  
"I hope." Sally frowned at the screen as a blip appeared along the left edge.   
"Oh rats."  
  
"What?" said Sonic. "Is that it?"  
  
"Yes," said Sally, typing a few commands on Nicole. The blip enlarged, and an   
outline of a continent appeared around it.  
  
"Where's that?" said Sonic.  
  
"Central Mobius," said Sally. "It's not on West Mobius at all."  
  
"I've never been there," said Sonic. "Do they speak New Mobian?"  
  
"They probably speak Borese," said Sally. "The rest of the northies do, but I'm   
sure we can find a translator if we need to communicate."  
  
"We?" said Sonic. "You're going with me?"  
  
"Oh," said Sally, looking at her papers. "I'm sorry Sonic, I slipped back into   
my old mission-planning mode. I can't go."  
  
"Come on, Sal," said Sonic. "If you stay in here much longer you'll become a   
hunchback, and that wouldn't be very popular."  
  
Sally gestured to her desk. "I have to get this done. It's the zoning   
regulations and ownership deeds for New Mobitropolis, and I have to get it   
cleared up before the rebuilding can start."  
  
"Sal," said Sonic, leaning toward her, "read my lips. Get. A. Secretary."  
  
"Sonic, this is my responsibility," said Sally, looking weary. "Being a princess   
isn't just wearing a crown and sitting on a throne, you know. I've got to be a   
politician now."  
  
Sonic spun around, walked to the wall, and turned back. "So you're going to   
spend the rest of your life inside a cage, and you're not going to do anything   
about it?"  
  
"What can I do?" said Sally. "I'm the last heir to the throne. I have to do   
this. I've been doing it for years already."  
  
"Just run away!" said Sonic. "Go someplace they'd never find you!"  
  
"Not everyone can run away, Sonic. Some people have to stay put and run things,   
and I'm one of those people."  
  
"Change the laws," said Sonic. "Make it a democracy like the human colonies   
have."  
  
Sally only shook her head. "You can't change laws that easily."  
  
Sonic paced in a circle, his strides jerky with anger. It infuriated him to see   
Sally accept chains that he didn't think she needed to wear. He spun to face   
her. "Fine. Stay here and become a politician. But come with me on one last   
mission, please?"  
  
The question hung in the air. Sally gazed at him for a long moment, then looked   
at her stacks of unfinished work. Slowly she looked at Sonic again. "How long   
would we be gone?"  
  
He grinned--he'd won the battle. "Not more than a week. We can take the Cyclone,   
fly out to Central Mobius--shouldn't take more than two days--find the emerald   
in two or three days, and fly home. Easy."  
  
Sally stood up and began to disassemble the tracker. "You don't instill me with   
a lot of confidence, Sonic. When do you want to leave? I can pack in twenty   
minutes."  
  
"Let me check out the Cyclone," said Sonic, and left the hut at a run.  
  
He had a week with Sally--one precious week to spend time with her before the   
courses of their lives split them apart. As he skidded onto the airstrip, he   
realized he didn't want that to happen. He and Sally had been a team through the   
dark Freedom Fighter years, and lately he had neglected her to go off on his own   
adventures. And he had all but lost her.  
  
Sonic vaulted into the biplane's cockpit and checked the fuel levels.   
Fully-fueled; Tails always kept the tanks full in case he wanted to fly   
somewhere, which he did at least once a week. Sonic did a bit of flying,   
himself, to keep his pilot's license current.  
  
Sonic leaned one elbow on the plane's seat and gazed at the throttle. After this   
week was over, Sally would return to her government position forever, and Sonic   
would be merely a bystander. She might make him captain of the guard or   
something, but that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted things to stay the   
same--but they couldn't. New Mobitropolis was being rebuilt. The monarchy would   
pull itself together. Knothole would become a historic ghost town in the woods.   
Sally would marry some suitable rich snob, and that would be the end of it.   
Sonic would be left to himself with nothing but his speed and a few fans to his   
name.  
  
He would have to do something really drastic to keep this dismal vision from   
coming true. Like marry Sally. He laughed at himself. After what he had seen of   
her determination to take on the mantle of ruler, she would either refuse him or   
marry him and make him king. King Sonic. The very thought of the title made his   
flesh creep. He would be forced to do all the things Sally was doing--be a   
politician--and spend the rest of his life entombed indoors as his speed and   
energy withered away.  
  
NO!  
  
He jumped out of the biplane and stood beside it, panting as if he had escaped a   
deathtrap. He turned and gazed at the tail section, where his name was painted   
in black letters. He traced the S with one finger. S for Solitude. He didn't   
want to lose Sally forever. But marrying her meant giving up everything else   
that he loved, and he couldn't choose between them. Not yet.  
  
Sonic gazed at the trees ringing the airstrip. A bit of preparation wouldn't   
hurt.  
  


* * *

  
  
In Central Mobius, the fires in Carrotseed were being extinguished, and the   
villagers ran around, looking out in terror for the fearsome red robot.  
  
A mile from town, a fox in battered armor and a young rabbit with a chao were   
walking along a dirt trail through a carrot field. As far as the eye could see   
were rows and rows of ferny green growth. From time to time Cream would turn   
aside, pull a carrot from the ground, clean it off and eat it. "You want some?"   
she asked Destro, offering him a small carrot. "The little ones are the   
sweetest."  
  
Destro took the carrot and ate it without speaking.  
  
Cream watched him. "Is it sweet?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
For the past hour, all Cream could get out of him were "yes" and "no". When she   
had run to him, crying in the aftermath of her terror, Destro had turned to   
stone. He was taking her back to Carrotseed and would scarcely speak to her.  
  
"I think you scared him," whispered Monty in her ear. The chao had eaten so many   
carrots his mouth was stained orange.  
  
"How did I scare him?" whispered Cream.  
  
"You hugged him."  
  
"Hugs aren't scary."  
  
"Well, he didn't like it. He acts like he's mad at you."  
  
"I'll ask him." Cream looked up at Destro. "Are you mad at me?"  
  
"No," said Destro, looking straight ahead.  
  
"Because Monty thinks you're mad at me," said Cream. "Because I hugged you. Are   
you afraid of hugs?"  
  
Destro didn't answer.  
  
"Well, ARE you?" asked Cream shrilly.  
  
The fox looked at her, and his glass eye flashed in the sun. Cream recoiled--she   
had not noticed his artificial eye before. "It's been a long time since anyone's   
hugged me."  
  
Cream stared at him. "What happened to your eye?"  
  
Destro looked away and didn't answer.  
  
Monty elbowed Cream, but she was too fascinated to drop the subject. "Is it   
robotic? Can you zoom it in? Can you see in the dark?"  
  
"No," said Destro. "It contains targeting systems and readouts."  
  
"Oh." Cream nibbled the stump of a carrot in her hand. "Are we there yet?"  
  
Monty lifted his head. Throughout this one-sided conversation he had kept an eye   
on the chaos field around them. Cream's was swirling and pink, as it was when   
she was in a good mood. Once in a while playful surges shot out toward the   
ground or Destro, and Monty caught them and pulled them back with his own small   
aura. Just because Cream was happy didn't mean that rocks, leaves and passersby   
should fly around.  
  
Destro's armor was no longer absorbing chaos energy, but from time to time   
little ripples of power passed over him, usually when Cream asked him a   
question. Monty admired Destro's control. Destro had a natural aura, like most   
Mobians. But unlike Mobians, Destro kept his entire aura locked away within   
himself, showing his iron self-control.  
  
But now Monty felt a wave of disturbance roll over them, making Cream's aura   
wave like kelp in an ocean tide. He looked around and saw a vortex of energy   
sweeping toward them over the carrot field like a purple tornado. Monty had   
never seen anything like that before, and sat up straight. "Cream! Destro!   
Something really bad is coming this way, and it's really, really bad!"  
  
"The robot," said Destro, and started to draw his sword. Then he looked at Cream   
and Monty and hesitated.   
  
Monty looked at him. "He's got a chaos vortex with him. I have no idea what   
that'll do, so I think we'd better run."  
  
"Right," said Destro. He re-sheathed his sword and scooped up Cream. "Hold on,"   
he said, and she put her arms around his neck. The armor on Destro's back   
unfolded and expanded to form a rocket pack, which ignited with a tearing roar.   
Destro shot into the sky, a visor automatically unfolding from his helmet. Cream   
was crushed against his armored chest by centrifugal force, and couldn't breathe   
until Destro leveled out.  
  
Monty was clinging to her. "This--is--so--cool," he gasped.  
  
"Still see the vortex?" said Destro.  
  
Monty peeked over Destro's shoulder. "Yes, but it's shrinking. I think we lost   
him."  
  
"Good," said Destro, and kept flying.  
  
It wasn't until later that Jack wondered why Destro believed his warning about   
the chaos field when most other Mobians had no idea what he was talking about.   
Being the only person able to see the chaos field was lonely business.  
  


* * *

  
  
Zephyer stopped at the top of a ladder leading up to the platforms of Eagle's   
Nest, and leaned on the railing. She was panting from the climb, which seemed a   
little harder every day. It was the metal she was packing around; it was heavy   
and oppressive, and hauling it up and down the ladders was wearing her out.  
  
When she had caught her breath, she walked along the creaking walkway to the big   
circular room where Knuckles was working on the derobotizer. She paused outside   
the door and listened. All was quiet. She turned the knob and opened the door,   
peering around for Knuckles. The room was in shambles, as usual. The   
experimental lens and extractor was set up where the derobotizer had been, and   
she guessed Knuckles had been trying a new setting. The floor around it was   
covered in scorch marks and a grimy, fluffy stuff she realized was fire-retardant   
foam. So it had caught fire this time. If this kept up, Knuckles would run out   
of biometal to experiment on. There were only a few biotics left, for the rest   
had already biodegraded too much to use.  
  
She gazed at the mess on the floor with a sinking heart, and regretted agreeing   
to marry him. If Knuckles didn't kill himself trying to make the machine work,   
then he would kill her trying to derobotize her. Maybe she should ask him to   
break off the engagement.  
  
Brooding, Zephyer left the derobotizer room. The next place to look for him was   
the little library, where donated and salvaged books were kept. Knuckles had   
been doing tons of research, trying to figure out a formula that would break   
down the biometal into non-hazardous components.  
  
She opened the door and stepped into the library. The walls on the east and west   
sides were solid windows, and the rest of the walls were lined with shelves of   
books. A table had been set up in the middle of the room, and here Knuckles had   
spread his chemistry and nano technology books. He was bent over them now,   
scribbling in a notebook, the image of an echidnaen mad scientist.  
  
Zephyer crossed to another chair in the corner and sat down, not wanting to   
disturb him. She idly picked up a book from a box at her feet and thumbed   
through it. It was a kid's novel and contained the occasional illustration of a   
Mobian collie who had a human boy as a pet. The idea turned Zephyer's stomach,   
and she put the book down.  
  
Knuckles laid his pencil down and massaged his forehead. "Hi Zephyer."  
  
"Hi Knux." For some reason Zephyer was suddenly shy. "What're you working on?"  
  
"New formula," said Knuckles. He had a maniac gleam in his eyes. "Metal Sonic   
invented this biometal, so I should be smart enough to figure out how he did   
it."  
  
"You're taking on Metal Sonic by doing this, I see," said Zephyer. She looked   
down at her clasped hands. "Maybe we should call off the engagement."  
  
Knuckles looked at her, startled. "What? Why?"  
  
Zephyer kept her eyes on her hands. "I don't want you to kill yourself over   
this."  
  
"I'm not going to kill myself," said Knuckles, standing up and stretching. "I'll   
crack the code. I mean, I've built robots more complicated than this darned   
biometal technology."  
  
Zephyer looked up. "You're trying to figure out how to keep me alive, aren't   
you?"  
  
Knuckles looked at her a long moment, then walked to her, took her hands and   
pulled her to her feet. "Zeff," he said, "there's always a risk involved. I'm   
trying to find a way to minimize the risk."  
  
"Don't be diplomatic, it doesn't suit you," said Zephyer, smiling in spite of   
herself. "Spill it, Echidna."  
  
Knuckles smiled a little. "All right. Building biometal is easy. Taking it apart   
isn't. Right now the machine sees no difference between metal and flesh."  
  
Zephyer went cold. The image flashed through her mind of being liquefied, and   
the library whirled. She sank back into the chair and held her head. "Are you   
all right?" Knuckles asked, then he growled, "I knew I shouldn't have told   
you."  
  
"No, I'm okay," said Zephyer, coming to herself with an effort. "I shouldn't   
have asked." Her heart was racing, and her fingertips tingled.  
  
Knuckles watched her a moment. "When did you eat last?"  
  
Uh oh.  
  
"Um, I don't know," said Zephyer. "Breakfast?"  
  
Knuckles's lips pressed into a line. "Come on, Zephyer, don't do this to me." He   
knelt in front of her chair. "You have to keep eating, you understand?"  
  
Zephyer glared at him. "It's none of your business if I eat or not."  
  
"Yes it is!" snapped Knuckles. "It's called Robotization Trauma Syndrome, when   
you stop eating and die. You're not going to die on me, okay?"  
  
"Okay," said Zephyer. "I don't plan on dying, it's just that lately all food   
smells foul to me."  
  
A muscle flexed in Knuckles's jaw. "I'll see what I can do." He started to get   
up, but knelt down again. "Look Zeff, we're engaged. We've made a deal that if I   
can derobotize you, you'll marry me. I want to add another condition to that."  
  
Zephyer raised her eyebrows. "Oh?"  
  
Knuckles's eyes were intense. "That you keep yourself in good condition by   
eating regularly. If you starve yourself, you WILL die when we get the metal   
off. Understand?"  
  
"Yes." Zephyer looked down at herself and hated her metal all over again.  
  
Knuckles rose and returned to his books. Zephyer remained in her chair. Despite   
her humiliation, there was no place she would rather be than with Knuckles, even   
if they didn't talk. She began to take books from the open box and place them on   
an empty shelf.  
  
She was thus engaged when the door opened and Sonic's head poked in. "Hi Knux,   
hi Zeff," he said. "Zeff, can I ask you something real quick?"  
  
"Sure," said Zephyer, rising and walking out to him. He motioned for her to step   
outside, and she did. Sonic shut the door, checked to make sure they were alone,   
then said quietly, "What did you do with those rings Knuckles made for you?"  
  
"They're in my apartment here," said Zephyer, cocking an eyebrow. "Why?"  
  
"I want to borrow one." Sonic's eyes were everywhere but on her.  
  
"Sonic," said Zephyer, grinning. "Have we given you ideas?"  
  
"Ideas about what?" said Sonic, staring at the wall.  
  
"You and Sally," said Zephyer. "You've been friends an awfully long time..."  
  
Sonic examined the railing. "I just want to borrow a ring. Sally and I are going   
off to track a chaos emerald, and I ... I wanted to have a ring handy."  
  
"Uh huh," said Zephyer, watching him. She had never seen Sonic so twitchy. "I'll   
let you borrow one, but you can't have the red one."  
  
"I wanted a blue one, actually," said Sonic, following her down the plank   
walkway. "I don't have time to buy one or I would. We're leaving in ten   
minutes."  
  
"We'd better hurry, then," said Zephyer. She reached a tree house with three   
apartment rooms, opened a door and ushered Sonic in. The room was tiny, with a   
bed, a bureau, and a mirror on the wall. On top of the bureau was a cardboard   
box, which Zephyer picked up and held out to Sonic. He glanced in and snatched   
out a ring with a blue stone.   
  
"Great," he said, yanking off his glove and sticking it on his own finger. He   
pulled the glove back over it and said, "She'll never suspect a thing."   
  
As he turned to go, Zephyer said, "She loves you, right?"  
  
"Sure," said Sonic. "Everybody loves me."  
  
"You haven't been very nice to her," said Zephyer, following him out the door.   
"You'd better work hard to be nice, or she'll turn you down flat."  
  
"How do you know?" said Sonic, looking half-scornful half-worried.  
  
"I talk to her, unlike some people I could mention."  
  
Sonic winced. "Point taken. See you in a week." He dashed off down the   
boardwalk, and Zephyer leaned against the wall for a moment. Maybe she should   
take Knuckles's advice and eat a little more often.  
  


* * *

  
  
The red robot was hunting Cream, Destro was sure of it. Every time they tried to   
double back to Carrotseed, the robot appeared and tried to catch them. Monty the   
chao always saw the robot coming because of something in the chaos field. Destro   
could feel changes in the field itself sometimes, but he could not see them the   
way Monty did.  
  
They were driven further and further from Cream's home, Destro using his   
rocket pack when the robot drew too close. He didn't like to use it so much; it   
drained the energy out of his armor, which drew power from his body. He knew the   
chao could see the transferring power, because sometimes Monty's eyes would   
follow something as it traveled along Destro's body. Destro wondered what chaos   
power looked like, but didn't ask. Over the years of solitude his natural   
shyness had become a silent mask. He did not speak to anyone except when   
absolutely necessary.  
  
Thus he found Cream's chatter unnerving and irritating. She talked constantly,   
and he wondered if she had a single thought in her head she did not speak aloud.   
He heard about her mother and her father, who worked far away, and her crazy   
uncle who was also really funny, and her grandma who hated her dad, and the   
place where they got Monty, and the school she went to, and her teacher there.  
  
The sun was sinking by this time, and Destro was thinking about finding shelter   
for the night. It was early spring, and the nights were cold. Destro usually   
slept under a tree somewhere, but he doubted that Cream would survive a night in   
the open with the robot hunting her.  
  
They came to a farmhouse with a cellar dug in the ground a short distance from   
the back door. As darkness descended, Destro led Cream and Monty to the cellar,   
and they snuck down inside it.  
  
Cream was sleepy and full of carrots, so she curled up on the earthen floor and   
fell asleep at once. Destro examined the cellar. It was lined with shelves on   
which were stacked jars of preserves and canned vegetables. The cellar door   
latched from the outside, so Destro took up his vigil at the foot of the steps.   
Monty, who had accompanied Destro on his tour of inspection, asked, "Will that   
robot be able to find us?"  
  
"I don't know," said Destro. "But I can feel when he's near."  
  
"I know, your aura sways with Cream's," said Monty. "And I thought Cream   
distorted the chaos field!"  
  
Destro was silent a moment, then said, "It must be able to feel her."  
  
Monty shivered. "If you feel it coming, wake me up."  
  
"Yes." Destro watched as the chao walked to his young mistress, turned over one   
of her ears, and curled up inside it. Their combined breathing became slow and   
even.  
  
Destro reached behind him and flicked a switch on his armor to let the batteries   
rest, and closed his eyes. Inside his bionic eye he opened a file containing the   
sacred writings of the religious code he followed. Reading it helped clear his   
mind of all the distractions of the day, and he quietly asked his God, the   
Lightgiver, if he should continue to protect this child. He knew what the answer   
would be before it came.  
  
"Yes. Your paths crossed for a reason."  
  
"Shall I fight the robot that is hunting her?"  
  
"No. Journey south to a place I will show you."  
  
"Thank you." The Lightgiver had been Destro's only companion for so long that   
communicating with him was second nature. It was sort of like telepathy, but   
Destro had to keep his mind pure in order to do it--the Lightgiver could not   
illuminate a darkened mind.  
  
Destro wished he could fight the robot, for long ago he had sworn to eliminate   
evil from the world wherever he found it, but the Lightgiver had other ideas.   
Sometimes he would direct Destro to attack an enemy, but at other times he was   
to avoid an encounter, or flee, as now. But over the years Destro had seen these   
odd instructions lead to amazing victories, and so he was prepared to continue   
running from the robot for Cream's sake.  
  
Destro let himself doze, his armor taking on a dark, dull color to blend with   
the wall. But he kept a part of himself awake, waiting for that silent roll of   
power that preceded the robot.  
  


* * *

  
  
In West Mobius it had been night for three hours. Sally was wearing a coat and   
goggles in the passenger seat of the Cyclone, but she was shivering, partly   
exposed to the wind. The Cyclone had been converted to attack mode for extra   
speed, and Sonic was in the pilot's seat, navigating and occasionally swigging   
from a thermos of coffee. Because of the wind and engine noise all talking had   
to be conducted at a yell, and Sally was too sleepy to bother. She slouched down   
in the seat, thankful for the floor heater Tails had installed, and closed her   
eyes.  
  
Even the prospect of riding in a small plane for two days was more welcoming   
than the hours of paperwork that awaited her. She had done nothing for a month   
but fill out forms, and the thought of the boxes of papers under her desk made   
her want to cry. But she had to make the best of it. Eventually she would   
finish, and life would resume. The years of being a Freedom Fighter had taught   
her to put the best face on everything. If she could fake confidence in the   
midst of a trying situation, then those looking up to her would also be   
confident.  
  
But Sonic always saw through her. Just as he had seen through her that morning   
with his comment about living in a cage. It was the same metaphor that had been   
growing in her own mind; living forever indoors, bent over books while all   
outdoors was crying out to her. She had lied to Sonic about having done this   
sort of thing for years--what she did best was plan tactical moves and mission   
objectives, and encourage downcast refugees. She was a military commander, not a   
queen, and making the transition was killing her by inches.  
  
Sally lifted her face and inhaled the chilly air, which contained the scent of   
the sea. This was the kind of mission she liked, with plenty of outdoor work   
involved. The emerald tracker was tucked inside her coat to protect it from the   
dew, and she touched its square edge under the fabric of her coat. This was no   
military mission; it was a treasure hunt.  
  
Her thoughts wandered to Knuckles and Zephyer, and of the hours she and Zephyer   
had spent talking. Zephyer was terrified of the duel prospect of derobotization   
and marriage, and needed lots of counseling. During the process Sally and   
Zephyer had become good friends, and Sally received some counseling of her own.   
Zephyer had the unexpected knack for encouragement, and Sally had received the   
extra energy she needed to continue working.  
  
Sally thought wistfully of the look in Zephyer's eyes when she talked about   
Knuckles, as if he was a movie star who Zephyer was permitted to spend time   
with. There had been a time when Sally felt the same way about Sonic, but he had   
remained cocky and indifferent. He had gone off and done his own thing, and   
gradually Sally had accepted this and buried herself in her work. There was no   
point in wasting time on Sonic when he viewed her only as a friend. But her   
heart didn't want to believe it, and she harbored the hope that someday Sonic   
would return to her. Now if only they could get a chance to talk! She had so   
much to ask him about, like the Mekion incident, which Sally had heard about   
second-hand. Sonic never talked about it...  
  
Hours later Sally opened her eyes. A dim light was growing in the sky behind   
them, and the stars hung low and heavy. Sonic was hunched over the control   
stick, and a dim landmass had appeared on the ocean to the right. "Sonic,"   
called Sally, "where are we?"  
  
"Patuxet islands, I think," Sonic called back. "The airport's got us in a   
holding pattern. You doing okay?"  
  
"Kind of stiff, but okay," said Sally, stretching as much as possible in a   
cramped space. "How's fuel?"  
  
"I have a quarter of a tank," said Sonic. "We're good for another hour. Tails's   
planes get good mileage, that's for sure."  
  
The pair fell silent. It took too much effort to compete with the Cyclone's   
engine.  
  
Ten minutes later Sonic received clearance to land, and circled in to land at   
the island airport. Sonic wanted to refuel and fly on, but Sally objected.   
"We've been flying since noon yesterday. How much longer do you think you'll   
stay awake?"  
  
"Two hours," said Sonic with a grin.  
  
They checked into a small hotel outside the airport, and took two rooms. Sonic   
crashed and slept without stirring for three hours, but Sally bathed and   
tinkered with the emerald tracker. There were no chaos emeralds on the Patuxet   
islands, but here and there she picked up people with strong chaos auras. Maybe   
such a thing was more common here than on West Mobius. At home she could sweep   
the whole continent and only Sonic's aura would pick up. Perhaps it had   
something to do with the equalization of the chaos field after the flux.  
  
She searched for the green emerald again and charted its location. She zoomed in   
with the satellite and sketched out a map on a piece of paper, jotting notes   
about other deceptive pockets of chaos energy. As she worked she kept an eye on   
the hazy blip that was the green emerald, so she saw when the blip flickered and   
died.   
  
"What in the world?" Sally murmured. "Nicole, reacquire location of green chaos   
emerald."  
  
"Working, Sally," said the computer. The screen redrew itself, and there was the   
emerald signal again. As Sally watched, the signal strengthened, then weakened   
to nothing, then strengthened again. What in the world was going on down there?   
The chaos field must be unstable. But this was the green emerald, the most   
stable of the seven! Just in case, Sally scanned for other emeralds in the   
vicinity, but picked up nothing. Unless her signal tracking was wrong, the green   
emerald was in the midst of a field distortion.  
  
"Nicole," said Sally, "bring up all available data on the chaos emeralds."  
  
"Working, Sally," said Nicole. "A file already exists in my databank. Shall I   
open it?"  
  
"Yes," said Sally, and read the text that appeared on the screen. The file was a   
compressed mess of research data she had gathered for Knuckles. Now she scrolled   
through it, eyes narrowed. It only confirmed what she already knew: the red   
emerald was the most unstable, the green was the most stable, and the rest   
ranged between them.  
  
Sally was tweaking her settings and reconfiguring the tracker when the adjoining   
door opened and Sonic looked in. "Sal? You ready to go?"  
  
"I'm ready when you are," she said.  
  
"Great," said Sonic, walking in with a comb in one hand. "What're you working   
on?"  
  
"The emerald is causing a field distortion," said Sally. "Look at the screen,   
it's changing power levels every second."  
  
Sonic peered at the tracker screen, combing his quills. "It's not supposed to   
fade out like that, is it?"  
  
"No," said Sally. "This is the GREEN emerald."  
  
Sonic lowered his comb and frowned. "Uh oh. It's acting like the red one."  
  
"Yes."  
  
The two exchanged worried glances.  
  
"This will be interesting," said Sonic. "Grab your stuff, we're burning   
daylight." He made for the door as Sally put away the tracker and slung her   
backpack over one shoulder.  
  


* * *

  
  
Destro awoke with his sword half-drawn, fur bristling. Something was in the   
cellar with him, and it--wait a second. Nestled against his side was Cream with   
Monty asleep in the hollow of one of her ears. Destro relaxed and re-sheathed his   
sword. When his armor had been plugged into his body, Destro had lost all sense   
of touch in those areas. The few bits of himself that still had feeling were   
super-sensitive, and anything that touched him unexpectedly became a pile of   
shreds seconds later.  
  
He would wake Cream if he moved, so he sat still and let his senses tell him   
about his surroundings. A rooster crowed outside--morning was near. The chaos   
field was quiet. Not that it meant much--the last time the field had been quiet,   
it was minutes before the robot appeared with its wave of power. But nothing was   
happening at the moment, so Destro held a private discussion with the   
Lightgiver, who had been standing guard while Destro slept. His instructions   
were the same--keep moving south. Destro voiced his growing concern that he   
might be considered a kidnapper, taking Cream like this, and was told that   
Cream's mother knew what had happened and had delayed the robot that night.  
  
This reassured Destro, who got up and opened the cellar door to check the time.   
The sky was flushed pink in the east, and the grass was heavy with dew. The   
chaos field remained quiet. Destro turned and looked at Cream. "Wake up, it's   
time to go."  
  
Cream stirred and lifted her head. She sat up partway, her head turned because   
of Monty's weight in her ear. "Hi Destro. Did that robot come back?"  
  
"No." Destro looked out the cellar door as the little rabbit untangled herself   
and woke her chao. Monty sat on the cold floor and blinked sleepily. "Ugh, I   
like sleeping in a bed better than camping."  
  
"Me too," said Cream, looking in dismay at her soiled clothes. "Can we go home   
today, Destro?"  
  
"No," said Destro, glancing at her. "The robot is still pursuing us, but last   
night your mother hindered him."  
  
"Maybe Daddy's with her!" said Cream, her eyes lighting up. "I'll bet he came   
home when he heard about the robot coming, and now he's trying to stop it!"  
  
Destro shrugged and didn't answer.  
  
Minutes later they emerged from the cellar and cut across a field to a road   
leading south. On the far side of the road was a carrot field, and Cream helped   
herself to breakfast as they walked along. She offered some to Destro, who ate   
without comment.  
  
Monty kept an eye on the chaos field. It was a vague haze that hung on the air   
and concentrated in hollows in the ground like low-lying fog, and the only   
movement was caused by Cream's crackling, burning aura. Today Destro's armor was   
absorbing chaos energy, and the tendrils Cream's aura sent out were sucked into   
it. Monty wondered if Destro knew about this, and after watching the fox for a   
while, decided he didn't. Maybe the armor itself needed the energy.  
  
They walked for three hours, sometimes stopping so Cream could rest. There was   
no sign of pursuit, so Destro was willing to take it a little slower. He was   
tired from the frenzied pace of the day before, and his armor's power levels   
were low.  
  
Near noon the road widened and cars began to come and go on the road. "Oh goody,   
this is Prairietown!" said Cream. "My aunt lives here, I only see her on   
holidays and my birthday."  
  
Destro grunted. The sight of a town worried him--what if the robot tracked them   
here and destroyed this town the way it had Carrotseed? He asked the Lightgiver   
if this was the place to stop.   
  
"No," the Lightgiver replied. "This is not the place."  
  
"We won't stop here," said Destro.   
  
"But I'm tired of walking!" whined Cream. "I want to see Aunt Peaches! Please   
please?"  
  
"No," said Destro, laying his ears back.  
  
Cream whined all the way through Prairietown, which consisted of a hundred dirt   
mounds with doors and tunnels in them. The bulk of the town was underground, and   
only a few prairie dogs hurried by on the surface now and then, waving to   
Destro, Cream and Monty.  
  
As they left the town, a blue biplane swooped overhead and circled around to   
land at the little airstrip. Cream pointed and waved, and Destro squinted up at   
the plane. Single engine, two seats, laser cannons mounted on the underside of   
the wings. Who would arm a biplane when there were superior aircraft designs   
available? The biplane design was antique.  
  
The biplane was wiped from Destro's mind as Monty cried, "Here comes the robot!   
Run! Run quick!"  
  
Destro grabbed up Cream and broke into a gallop, Cream looking over his shoulder   
for a glimpse of the robot.  
  
  
  
  


This story archived at: The Domain of NetRaptor

  



	2. Chapter 2: The Hunt

**25. Silver Lining: Part 2: The Hunt**

  


by NetRaptor1

  
Silver Lining  
  
By K. M. Hollar  
__________________  
And the pain falls like a curtain  
All the things I once called certain  
And I have to say the words I fear the most:  
"I just don't know."  
  
--Steven Curtis Chapman, God is God  
__________________  
  
Part 2: The Hunt  
_________________  
  
The biplane had been on the ground two seconds when Sally shouted, "Look!"  
  
Sonic looked up to see two people run by, then Robo Knuckles fly past, his   
afterburner roaring. "Oh great!" exclaimed Sonic, "he must have been repaired!   
Stay here, Sal!" The hedgehog vaulted out of the cockpit and pelted after the   
robot.  
  
"Sonic!" Sally called after him, but he was gone. "The plane's still moving,"   
she muttered, climbing over the seat into the cockpit. The plane was taxiing   
toward the end of the runway. Sally guided it into the ploughed field ringing   
the airstrip, cut the engine, and blocked the tires, glad that all those years   
of driving transports had paid off.  
  
By that time Sonic, the robot, and the two strangers were out of sight, so Sally   
set up her tracker. When she scanned for chaos distortions, it picked up three   
blotches. They were moving rapidly, and she had to pan the screen every few   
seconds to keep them in view. Sonic's distinctive signal was there, and Robo   
Knux had a strange one, like a spiral. The people he was chasing were so close   
together that Sally couldn't distinguish them on screen, but they were causing a   
bright emerald-like glow. Sally had not seen such a strong aura since Super   
Sonic.  
  
She watched the progress of the blips, chewing her lip. Robo Knux was gaining on   
the civilians, and Sonic was gaining on Robo Knux. As she watched, Sonic put on   
a burst of speed and caught up to Robo Knux, who slowed and circled. The two   
clashed, parted, clashed again.   
  
"Oh Sonic, be care!" whispered Sally. The spiral marking the robot worried her.   
Whenever a blotch of chaos was forced into a shape of any kind, it meant the   
person was controlling the field. Sonic let his field bleed all over the place,   
but Sally had seen Knuckles warp and bend his own when he needed an extra burst   
of energy. How could a robot possibly manipulate the field?  
  
Sonic and Robo Knux's blips joined together, and for three seconds they grappled   
in close quarters, and Sally bit her thumbnail. Then Sonic's blip retreated and   
ran off at an angle, and Robo Knux followed him. Sally zoomed in on Sonic's   
signature, but there was nothing in it to indicate he was hurt. Sally watched,   
leaning against the biplane, hating her inability to help. If only she had some   
kind of natural ability! She watched as Sonic raced his enemy as only Sonic   
could, occasionally doubling back to throw a taunt in Robo Knux's face. Stupid   
brave Sonic, he could get killed doing that!  
  
Sally watched as Sonic led the robot further and further a field, teasing and   
taunting, his chaos field growing bright with his excitement. Robo Knux's spiral   
coiled tighter and tighter like an angry rattlesnake. "Sonic, be careful!" Sally   
said to the tracker.  
  
Sonic struck like lightning and ricocheted off Robo Knux, and Robo Knux's   
signature winked out. Sonic ran straight back toward Prairietown. Sally looked   
for the civilians Robo Knux had been chasing. Their signal was dimmer, and they   
were moving at a walking pace, three miles away. They must be fantastic runners   
to keep ahead of both Robo Knux and Sonic.  
  
A few minutes later Sonic jogged up, his spines rumpled from battle. "Hi Sal!"   
he said. "Watching me with the tracker, huh?"  
  
"Yes," said Sally, smiling and relieved to see him unhurt. "You shouldn't tease   
Robo Knux like that. His chaos signature was very controlled--he could have hurt   
you."  
  
"I thought there was something different about him," said Sonic, dusting himself   
off. "For one thing he has diamond-tipped claws now, and those suckers are   
scary. I ripped up his arms last time we met, and he's had them replaced with   
all-new stuff. I knocked him out in the end, though."  
  
"Did you see who he was chasing?"  
  
"Yeah, some guy and a little girl. The guy had a jetpack or they would have been   
toast."  
  
"They had a strong signature, too."  
  
"Really?" Sonic looked surprised. "As strong as mine?"  
  
"Yes," said Sally, showing him. "It could be because they're so close together,   
though."  
  
Sonic looked at the screen and whistled. "They look like a chaos emerald! Any   
word on the emerald, by the way?"  
  
Sally scanned, then scanned again. "Um. No. I think it's gone."  
  
"What?" Sonic grabbed the tracker, and Sally grabbed it back and twisted a dial.   
"It was there when we stopped for fuel ... I took measurements and everything!"   
She did a continental sweep, and was relieved to see the emerald appear with its   
customary shape. But when she zoomed in, the signal dwindled to nothing and   
vanished.  
  
Sally looked at Sonic. "Something's wrong."  
  
"I'll say," said Sonic, folding his arms. "It looks like we were baited here."  
  
Sally frowned at the tracker. "But that's not possible. Either chaos energy is   
there, or it isn't. Nobody knows enough about the field to fake a signal." She   
thought of Robo Knux's signal and looked at Sonic, who was thinking the same   
thing.  
  
"You said Robo Knux was controlling the field. What if he was faking an emerald   
signal?"  
  
"But nobody knew we had a tracker," Sally protested. "This is the only one in   
the world."  
  
Sonic shook his head. "I don't like this. It smells like a trap."  
  
Sally looked at the mounds of dirt that were entrances into Prairietown. "You   
want to get rooms here?"  
  
"Might as well," said Sonic, reaching into the Cyclone's cockpit and pulling out   
their bags. "After that, I'm taking your tracker and going signal-hunting."  
  
"I'm going with you," said Sally. "You've left me behind long enough."  
  
Sonic gave her an odd grin.  
  
The Prairietown tunnels and caverns were spacious and well ventilated, populated   
by burrowing creatures of all kinds. A pair of gophers ran an underground hotel   
that extended downward six floors, and Sonic and Sally took rooms on the first   
floor. The lower floors were more expensive, because Prairietown residents loved   
deep tunnels.  
  
Sonic and Sally tossed their bags on their beds, and Sonic opened his and   
called, "Hey Sally, did you bring that helmet I told you to?"  
  
"Yes," Sally called back. "Although I don't see why."  
  
"This is why!" said Sonic, pulling a mass of buckles and straps from his   
duffle bag.  
  
Sally stared at it. "And that is?"  
  
"It's a hedgehog saddle," said Sonic, wrestling it on. "Tails designed it   
so--could you help me with this?--so I could carry people piggyback without them   
flying off."  
  
"That's a good idea," said Sally, trying to figure out which buckles went   
where.  
  
Between the two of them they attached it to Sonic, then Sonic explained to Sally   
how to climb into it. It took her three tries to figure out how to do it, but at   
last Sonic stood triumphantly in the middle of the room with Sally strapped to   
his back. She put on her helmet. "I feel ready for anything now."  
  
"Good," said Sonic. "Now get off. I'm not carrying you back through the   
tunnels."  
  
"Why Sonic," said Sally, un-strapping herself, "are you embarrassed?"  
  
"No," said Sonic, a little too loudly. "I just don't want to carry you more than   
I have to. Besides, you have to carry the tracker."  
  
"Right," said Sally, smiling.  
  
They made their way up through the tunnels, and Sonic received many stares for   
wearing a harness with a tangle of straps hanging from the back. He glared back,   
daring someone to ask him about it. No one did.  
  
Once outside they walked to the airstrip, and Sally climbed back into the   
'saddle' and put on her helmet. "Ready for takeoff," she said, tightening the   
strap around her waist. She handed Sonic the tracker. "Turn this dial to adjust   
the focus, and these dials here to keep the blip targeted."  
  
"Roger," said Sonic. "Hang on, Sal, I'm about to mix some juice with my jam."   
Sonic took two steps and broke into a run, and Sally grabbed the straps on his   
shoulders and hung on.  
  


* * *

  
  
Knuckles was sitting on an overturned crate, head in one hand, the other hand   
twiddling a pencil back and forth. His notebook was open in front of him with   
his latest configurations for the derobotizer, but he could not concentrate.   
"I'm burning out," he thought. He gazed at the far window and the treetops   
waving beyond it. He was feeling the call of his island, a poignant homesickness   
that drew him home no matter how important mainland matters were. Not that   
anything was wrong with the Floating Island ... he just needed to go home for a   
while.  
  
An added complication was that Zephyer felt the island's call, too. Every time   
she visited it, her life entwined with her ancestral home a little more. In the   
same way, she meshed with Knuckles that much more. But despair had held her in   
its clutches for so long that she was fighting any possible happiness tooth and   
nail. Knuckles had never seen anyone fight to keep from being happy, but she was   
doing it. The more she fought him, however, the more determined he was to   
conquer her and her ultimatum.  
  
Knuckles got up and changed gloves from his greasy work ones to his clean   
everyday pair, and went hunting for his fiancé. It was noon, and he was going to   
make sure she ate if he had to force-feed her.  
  
He located her on the highest platform among the tree houses, sitting in the sun   
and gazing across the treetops. "Hey Zeff," Knuckles called. "Come down, it's   
lunchtime."  
  
"Already?" said Zephyer, wrinkling her nose in disgust. She descended the ladder   
and smiled at Knuckles, who laid a hand on her heated metal shoulder. "Don't you   
get hot?"  
  
"No," said Zephyer. "Heat is my element, remember? I hate being cold."  
  
"Then you can have Sandopolis all to yourself," said Knuckles, leading the way   
down the boardwalk to the hut where food was stored. "I have something I thought   
you might like." He led her into the tree house and took a blue fruit like a pear   
off a shelf. "This is a chaofruit, because chao love them. I found this one on   
one of the trees I planted a few years ago, and thought you'd like to try it."  
  
Zephyer took the fruit and smelled it. It had a smooth skin, and smelled like a   
cross between an orange and a peach. "Can I have a knife?" she asked.  
  
Knuckles got one for her. He made himself a sandwich out of odds and ends that   
fit between two slices of bread, and they went to sit on the boardwalk to eat.   
Zephyer cut the fruit into slices and ate them slowly, and Knuckles watched her   
like a hawk to make sure she ate everything. She had been looking too pale   
lately.  
  
Now she looked at him, and from her stubborn expression he knew she was going to   
fight him about something. He braced himself.  
  
"Knux, I can't marry you. Let's call off the engagement."  
  
"What's the problem this time?" he asked, the corner of his mouth twitching. She   
had more reasons for breaking up than a lawyer.  
  
"You're the Guardian," she said, gesturing to the white crescent on his chest.   
"I'm not from a high-born tribe. I'm not even from a ranking tribe. I'm a   
Winstrom, I'm a--a peasant. If the other tribes were still here, we'd never be   
allowed to marry. You outrank me too much."  
  
Knuckles shook his head. She had grown up in the social castes of the echidnas,   
which he did not understand. "Zeff, that doesn't apply here. Here, the Guardian   
marries whoever he darn well pleases."  
  
Zephyer gazed at the chaofruit in her hands, and for a second Knuckles saw the   
outline of her skull, and his heart jolted. She was sicker than he thought. She   
looked up at him, and the vision passed. "What if our people ever come back?   
What if they declared our marriage null and void because you married a   
peasant?"  
  
"Zeff, no echidna argues with the Master emerald. It's already played   
matchmaker, and it didn't care about your social standing." When she looked   
reproachful, he added, "If it'll make you feel any better, I'll change your rank   
at our wedding and get it all on paper."  
  
She sighed and nodded, then said, "Do you want the rest of this fruit?"  
  
"No," said knuckles, wondering where his sandwich was, then noticing the crumbs   
on his hands. "You eat the rest of that. We have a deal, you know."  
  
She took a bite, chewed and swallowed. "It's because I'm a peasant that I'm   
here."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yes. They needed someone to test the dimension-jump technology, and I was ...   
expendable." She pronounced the last word bitterly.  
  
"Well, I'm glad I got you," said Knuckles. "A bubble-headed girl would have   
chased after me and made a pest of herself."  
  
Zephyer cracked a smile. "I know those kinds. Like Amy."  
  
The pair laughed.  
  
"That reminds me," said Zephyer. "Sonic borrowed one of the rings you made me.   
He's off with Sally for a week."  
  
Knuckles raised his eyebrows. "So he's finally getting serious, huh? It's about   
time. Sally's career's taking off and he'll be left behind."  
  
"I don't think he has the guts to propose to her in just one week," said   
Zephyer. "But he was optimistic about his chances, so I loaned him the ring."  
  
"Sonic's always that way," said Knuckles. "That's why he's made it this far.   
Hint, hint."  
  
"The nice thing about being a pessimist," said Zephyer, "is that you're always   
being proven right, or being pleasantly surprised." In the same breath she   
added, "Does Sonic know Chaos Heal?"  
  
Sometimes she changed subjects like that, and Knuckles scrambled to catch up.   
"Uh, Chaos Heal. No, we didn't get that far in his training."  
  
"So you don't know it, either."  
  
"No."  
  
Zephyer studied him. "How do you know there's such a thing?"  
  
"Because that's how Max subdued Chimera," said Knuckles. "Max healed Velocity,   
too."  
  
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," said Zephyer, wincing. "Maybe you should call   
Sonic and tell him to pick up Max on the way home."  
  
"I sent a message to Nicole," said Knuckles. "Sally will get it."  
  
"I hope they can get him away from the Communist Chao Company," said Zephyer,   
glaring. She had hated the Chao Co. ever since her chao Zinc had been stolen.   
"Nobody but thieves and rich people can get chao out of there."  
  
"Don't I know it," said Knuckles, who had all but bribed the adoption officials   
to let them take Zinc and Chimera home. "They'll think of something. Between   
Sonic and Sally, there's enough creativity to build the Minotaur labyrinth and   
populate it, too."  
  


* * *

  
  
The southern end of Central Mobius was divided into bays and peninsulas, where   
the ocean beat against rocky cliffs, and undertow currents sucked unwary   
swimmers out to sea.  
  
On a rocky hill overlooking the sea was a crumbling castle, built there as a   
defense against ancient seafaring raiders. It was to this castle that the   
Lightgiver directed Destro, so the fox and the rabbit found themselves peering   
through the gaping entrance as the sun sank behind the hills.  
  
"This place is creepy," said Cream. "Monty, do you see anything?"  
  
Destro looked at the chao. Monty stood on the cracked pavement and gazed at   
everything, watching the chaos field. Finally he said, "There's nothing here.   
The field is really weak--the stone walls must break it up."  
  
"Good," said Destro, wondering if that was why the Lightgiver had directed them   
here. "Let's look around before it's too dark."  
  
Cream picked up Monty and pattered after Destro, reassured. "Hey Destro, did you   
see the guy who attacked the robot? He fought it so we could get away. I wonder   
who he is? Do you think we'll see him again? He could sure run fast, he was   
faster than the robot!"  
  
"He had a strong aura, too," said Monty. "It was almost as strong as yours,   
Cream."  
  
"Wow," said Cream, her voice echoing as she entered a high stairwell. "Destro,   
what's up there?"  
  
The fox was halfway up and treading carefully. "Stay there," he said, and Cream   
obeyed. She watched as a shaft of red sunlight fell across Destro's face, then   
he was out of sight.  
  
"I wish we had sleeping bags," she told Monty. "It'd be a lot warmer. Destro's   
not very nice to snuggle up to, his armor is cold. Hey Destro! Do you ever take   
your armor off?"  
  
"No," came the reply.  
  
"Not even to take a bath?" said Cream, and giggled.  
  
"Come up, it's safe," said Destro, and Cream bounded up the stairs. At the top   
was a catwalk behind the outer wall, which had slots in it where archers could   
fire arrows through.   
  
Cream ran out and looked through the slots. "Destro, look, you can see the   
ocean! Isn't it pretty? Can we go down to the beach? Please?"  
  
"No," said Destro, walking past her to inspect a guardhouse set in the opposite   
corner of the catwalk.  
  
Cream watched him. "Why not? Are there sharks?"  
  
"No," Destro repeated, one hand curling into a fist. He was at the end of his   
strength and his patience, and his armor was so drained it was sucking the   
energy out of him like a leech. He looked over the wall. "It will be dark   
soon."  
  
"Where are we going to sleep?" Cream asked, standing on tiptoe to see over the   
wall. "There's no beds here."  
  
Destro stalked past her without answering and descended the stairs, both hands   
clenched.  
  
Cream ran after him. "Do you know a place to sleep? Can we go to the beach in   
the morning? Do you think that robot will find us?"  
  
Silent in the face of her questions, Destro found an antechamber that was   
sheltered from the elements, and went out to cut branches to make a bed. Cream   
cheerfully helped carry sprays of pine branches back to the castle, and   
afterward helped Destro collect leaves to spread on the branches. It was a   
crackly, itchy bed, but the leaves provided insulation against the cold ocean   
air.  
  
By this time it was dark, and Destro was working by the light of the instruments   
in his helmet. Cream was surrounded by a dim pinkish glow, which enabled her and   
Monty to see. Monty was half-asleep when Destro and Cream retired to their   
makeshift bed. Destro was nodding off, but Cream was bubbling over with energy.  
  
"I like the way these leaves smell, I got some pine needles too, is that okay?   
Pine needles smell good, don't they? It's so neat we get to stay in a castle. I   
always wanted to live in a castle. Mom says we could afford to live in one   
because of how much Daddy makes at work, but we don't."  
  
"Please be quiet," said Destro.  
  
"You don't want me to talk?" said Cream in astonishment. "Are you really   
tired?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Destro lifted his head, mentally screaming at the Lightgiver for entrusting this   
child to him. "My armor takes power from my body. When I use my jetpack, the   
armor feeds on the electricity in my body. It makes me tired."   
  
"Good grief," he thought. "I'm explaining biotechnology to an eight-year old."  
  
Cream's eyes were round. "Wow! Are you invincible? Do you fight crime?"  
  
"No," said Destro, and when he saw her open her mouth to ask more questions, he   
went on, "I'm a warrior for the Lightgiver, and I go wherever he tells me. He   
told me to protect you, and that's what I'm doing."  
  
"Lightgiver?" said Cream. "Where is he? Does he have flashlights?"  
  
"He's invisible, and more powerful than anything," said Destro. It had been   
years since he had talked so much, and his mouth refused to coordinate with his   
brain. But if he was talking, she was quiet, so he babbled on. He talked about   
places he had been and things he had seen the Lightgiver do, and the time he had   
been kidnapped and taken to a human zoo, only to break out, reclaim his armor   
and sword, and flee.  
  
When he next looked at Cream, she was sound asleep. He brushed some leaves over   
her and lay back, closing his eyes. "Lightgiver," he whispered to the darkness,   
"you are mighty and all-knowing, worthy of praise. But why did you inflict this   
child upon me with her infernal nagging?"  
  
The Lightgiver was there, but he did not answer. Destro sighed and let sleep   
carry him away.  
  


* * *

  
  
Sonic and Sally had wandered through miles and miles of farmland, tracking the   
elusive chaos emerald signal. Every time they neared it, it faded out, and Sonic   
had to require the signal. When he did, the signal had moved a few miles. He   
would chase it to its position, only to have it fade and shift again.  
  
Toward evening Sonic began to slow down, for the edge was gone from his energy   
and he was discouraged. Sally opened the visor on her helmet. "Could you let me   
down for a while? This harness is uncomfortable."  
  
"Sure," said Sonic, stopping and letting her unto the clasps. Sally stood up,   
rubbing her knees and wincing. "When we get home, tell Tails to put padding on   
the leg-loops. I feel like I've been kicked by a horse."  
  
"I guess I should have let you rest more often," said Sonic. "Sorry about   
that."  
  
They walked along a dirt road through a carrot field, still following the   
tracker. "This is like chasing a rainbow," said Sonic, "except even more   
irritating, because I KNOW the emerald's there somewhere."  
  
"I know," said Sally. "Maybe there's something wrong with the tracker."  
  
They walked in silence for a moment, and the wind hissed through the ferny   
carrot tops. Sonic was relieved to have Sally off his back, for she was quite   
heavy after a while. He stretched his shoulders as they walked along. Sally   
pulled off her helmet and ran a hand through her sweaty auburn hair. "Phew, hot   
in there."  
  
Sonic watched the tracker, aware that they had slipped back into the old roles   
of commander and soldier, with Sally figuring things out while Sonic did the   
footwork. But he didn't know how to take their relationship deeper without   
falling all over himself and hurting her feelings.  
  
Sally looked at him. "Could I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure," said Sonic.  
  
"What was the thing with Mekion all about?"  
  
Sonic felt his insides turn to cold stone. He opened his mouth to reply and   
found he had no words, so he said nothing.  
  
Sally looked at him. "Are you mad at me?"  
  
"No," Sonic grunted.  
  
"You never talk to me anymore," said Sally, frowning. "Remember how we used to   
talk about everything? Things aren't so hard now, and you have more friends, I   
know, but I'd like to hear about things now and then. You never told me a word   
about Shadow."  
  
"I watched him die," said Sonic coldly. "It's not something I enjoy talking   
about."  
  
"See, I didn't know that," said Sally. She stopped and faced him.  
  
Sonic folded his arms. "So you, like, want me to check in and give you daily   
reports on my life?"  
  
"No," said Sally quietly. "Sometimes it helps to tell someone when you're having   
problems."  
  
They looked at each other a moment. Sonic's eyes were like chips of jade. The   
mention of Mekion set a wound to throbbing in his heart--a mixture of anger,   
sorrow and betrayal that he had allowed to fester inside of him. "I don't want   
to talk about it," he said at last, and walked off. Sally fell into step beside   
him.  
  
The further they walked, the harder Sonic's conscience prodded him. He had asked   
Sally to come so they could salvage their relationship, and here he was   
distancing her. But she had asked him about Mekion, and he knew that if he   
talked about Mekion he would cry, and he couldn't do that. His conscience   
pricked him. He was being cruel, and Sally was his friend. He couldn't treat her   
like that. Worst of all was the way she was walking along without speaking, as   
if he had hurt her feelings too deeply for words.  
  
"Shadow died," Sonic said, the words struggling out of him. "But his chao Nox   
brought him back to life, and somehow Metal Sonic got a hold of him and made him   
into Mekion."  
  
So far so good. Sally was watching him, ears pricked. Sonic ploughed ahead,   
wanting to get the story over with. "Mekion is half-robot half-hedgehog, split   
right down the middle. He was sent out on a stealth mission to the Floating   
Island, and we kept seeing him. Knux recognized him and didn't want to tell me   
that he was Shadow."  
  
Sonic was nearing the hardest part, and paused to steady his voice. Sally   
nodded, listening.  
  
"Then I met Mekion, and he didn't remember me. But I kept talking to him, and I   
think I got through to him..." He paused, furious at the lump in his throat and   
his inability to get rid of it. "He saved my life," he concluded, dangerously   
close to tears. He glared at Sally. "There you have it, why I didn't talk about   
it."   
  
He was prepared to take offense at anything she said, but Sally didn't speak.   
Instead she put an arm around his shoulders and hugged him. The simple gesture   
smashed Sonic's self-control to pieces, and Sally held him while he cried, the   
first tears he had shed since losing Shadow the second time.  
  
Afterward he felt better, and dried his eyes with the back of his glove.  
  
"I had no idea," Sally told him. "He betrayed you, didn't he?"  
  
"It wasn't his fault," said Sonic, feeling calmer than he had in weeks. "Metal   
Sonic had him programmed so he couldn't change sides. It almost killed him   
saving me."  
  
"Do you think we could alter his programming?" said Sally. "Maybe we could add a   
loophole or something."  
  
Sonic's barrier had been breached by his tears, and he and Sally talked as they   
used to. As they walked, the tracker lost the emerald signal, and when they   
reacquired it, the signal had shifted to the east. Sonic and Sally cut across a   
carrot field, walking between the rows and smelling the carroty odor of crushed   
stalks.  
  
They were in the middle of the field, surrounded by a sea of green, when Sonic   
grabbed Sally's arm. "Sal. Robo Knux is coming."  
  
Sally looked around, but the horizon was empty. Then she looked at the tracker   
and saw a spiral moving toward them, but Sonic wasn't watching the tracker.   
"Sonic, we've got to get out of this field."  
  
"Right," said Sonic, gazing at the sky. "Grab the harness and hang on."  
  
Sally grabbed the straps and jumped into the saddle, but there was no time to   
strap herself in, for Sonic bolted across the field, still looking at a point on   
the empty horizon.  
  
"Sonic," Sally said through her teeth, "what are you looking at?"  
  
"He's making me feel funny," said Sonic. "He's like a ball of electricity and--"   
Sonic stumbled, nearly throwing Sally off over his head. "Sorry," he said,   
getting up. "Darn carrot rows! Robo Knux is making me dizzy."  
  
"Dizzy?" said Sally, clinging to the straps and hoping Sonic had not fallen on   
the tracker. "He's not even in sight!" But she thought of the spiral of chaos   
energy with a jolt of fear.  
  
"Yeah, it's weird," said Sonic. "Ugh, I have to stop." He did, and Sally slid   
off.  
  
"Sonic, this is a bad place for a robot encounter. We're unarmed!"  
  
"We still have me," said Sonic, holding the sides of his head and squinting.   
"Man, this feels so weird!"  
  
A speck appeared on the horizon, silhouetted against the sunset. Sonic handed   
the tracker to Sally and stepped across the rows toward the robot, shaking his   
head as if a fly was bothering him. Sally consulted the tracker screen, and saw   
the spiral's size had increased. It looked like a small tornado.  
  
"Sal," Sonic said, too casually, "run for the road."  
  
She obeyed at once, sprinting across the field with the tracker and Nicole   
clutched to her chest. Sonic ran laterally, jumping from rot to row to intercept   
Robo Knux. Sally could hear the roar of the robot's engines, but she dared not   
look back when footing was so treacherous. Half of her wanted to turn back and   
help Sonic, but she had no weapons and was no match for Robo Knux in a fight--a   
liability in a fight. She kept running.  
  
The chaos wave struck Sally as she reached the road between fields, and the   
concussion made her head spin. She lost her balance and fell over, just keeping   
the tracker from hitting the ground. She had not felt chaos power like that   
since the flux, and she squinted across the field toward Sonic and Robo Knux.   
Sonic was standing still and the robot was flying in circles around him,   
spiraling closer and closer. Why didn't Sonic move? Had he been hurt by the wave   
of chaos energy?  
  
As Sally watched, Sonic woke up and bolted toward her. He gestured to his head,   
so she put on her helmet, slung the tracker around her neck by its strap, and   
waited. Robo Knux was pursuing Sonic, his claws outstretched, the yellow light   
from his jets outlining him in a hellish glow. There was something else   
different about him, but Sally had no time to look, for Sonic bounded onto the   
road. She grabbed his harness and swung her legs around his waist as he entered   
the flat-out run he used to shatter the sound barrier. Sally wrapped her hands   
in the straps, knowing that strapping herself in was out of the question.   
  
She glanced over her shoulder and saw the robot was gaining on them, his arms   
pressed to his sides to minimize wind resistance. "Speed up, Sonic!" she shouted   
through her visor. She felt Sonic's strides become longer, and the wind roared   
over her helmet and tore at her body. She ducked behind Sonic's head and closed   
her eyes, knowing that falling off meant instant death.  
  
Sonic knew that if he broke the sound barrier, the conflicting air currents   
would break Sally's grip, so he kept his speed just under six hundred miles an   
hour. Robo Knux was still there--Sonic could feel massive amounts of chaos   
energy coming off him, and it conflicted with Sonic's field, twisting it and   
making his fur prickle. Sonic thought he knew how Robo Knux operated--a   
psychopathic assassin robot that attacked and killed as the mood struck. The   
robot also had the latest in vernacular chips, and never missed an opportunity   
to insult an opponent. It was unusual for him to attack in silence, but Sonic   
had encountered him twice now, and Robo Knux had not said a word.  
  
Sonic felt Sally's hands slipping, and grabbed her wrists. She wouldn't fall off   
if he held on to her, so he accelerated through the sound barrier.  
  
Even with afterburners at 110%, Robo Knux was no match for Sonic's speed, and   
Sonic shot away into the dusk, vanishing from all of Robo Knux's instruments in   
five seconds flat.  
  
Sonic kept running, glorying in his superior speed and holding Sally's arms   
around his neck to keep her from flying off. He flashed along dirt roads and   
through fields, a cloud of dust rising in his wake and a sonic boom echoing   
behind him. When he was certain he had lost Robo Knux, he began to slow down. He   
had run south, and he glimpsed the sea on the horizon as he decelerated. Wow, he   
had come two hundred miles in about eight minutes.  
  
Night was settling in as Sonic jogged to a halt, hot and panting, wishing that   
he didn't have to stop. "Sal, you still with me?" he asked, looking over his   
shoulder. To his horror he saw her helmet was cracked, and she was hanging on   
him like a sack of wheat. He knelt and let her slide to the ground, remorse   
tearing at him. He knew he should have stayed below the sound barrier! He pulled   
off her broken helmet and felt her throat for a heartbeat, and discovered with   
relief that she was alive. She must have fainted. Sonic thought of the time that   
his sister had fainted because he ran too fast, and kicked himself. "Hedgehog,   
you're an idiot." He looked down at Sally for a moment, wondering what to do.   
They needed shelter, especially if Robo Knux was still tracking them.  
  
He stood up and peered along the coast. In the last of the twilight he spotted a   
dark mass against the sky--maybe a farmhouse. Sonic picked up Sally with a grunt   
and began walking.  
  


* * *

  
  
Sonic's whirlwind race had not escaped the attention of the locals. A farmer   
walking home was knocked into the ditch by a speeding object and the wind behind   
it. A weather station logged an impossibly fast-moving object, and labeled it a   
UFO. The radar maps were distributed on the human computer network, and   
crackpots used it as proof of an impending alien attack. The tracking station   
became the Mecca of UFO fanatics, who called the incident "Roswell Two".  
  
But there were two individuals that evening that witnessed Sonic's flight, and   
recognized it. They were rabbits, a male and female, both packing enough   
firepower to dispatch a tank.  
  
Eva jerked her rail gun to her shoulder to fire after the hedgehog, her ears   
waving in the windy aftermath, but her husband seized the gun and forced it   
down. "Don't," he said, staring after the plume of dust. "I know what that   
was."  
  
"It was the robot," said Eva, flinging her ears over her shoulder. "You know how   
fast it is, and now I've lost my shot."  
  
Her husband did not answer, but he gazed in the direction Sonic had gone with a   
slow smile.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"That was no robot," he said. "That was Sonic the Hedgehog."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"The guy who helped me put Devan Shell behind bars. If he's here, then something   
big is going on."  
  
Eva gazed at him. "You think he knows where Cream is?"  
  
"He was sure in a hurry. He probably--" He was cut off as Robo Knux screamed by,   
leaving behind the odor of overheated fusion core.  
  
"Does that answer your question?" said Jazz, emptying thirty rounds in the   
direction the robot had gone. Eva fired her rail gun as well, but they both   
missed.  
  
"Come on!" said Jazz. He sprinted after the robot, and Eva shouldered her   
rail gun and followed.  
  


* * *

  
  
Zephyer stole through the woods outside of Knothole, pausing once in a while to   
listen. She didn't want to be followed, and she didn't want Knuckles to find out   
what she was doing. Eagle's Nest had become stifling and cramped, and she had to   
get out--and there was only one place she wanted to go.   
  
A chain link fence loomed out of the darkness like a pale wall. Zephyer   
unlatched the gate and slipped inside, closing the gate carefully to avoid   
making a sound. Inside the fence was the crystal teleporter aimed for the   
Floating Island, and Zephyer paused one last time to make sure she was alone   
before stepping onto the lens.  
  
The teleporter lit like a beacon, and she knew that if anyone was around, they   
would see the flash and come running. But it was too late now--she was gathered   
up, sucked through time and space, and set down on the receiver plate on the   
island. She drew a deep breath as she stepped off the plate, and stood looking   
at the stars behind the mountains in the island's center.  
  
As far as she could see, it was pitch black. There were suggestions of hills and   
trees against the night sky, but that was all. No sign of civilization. No   
lights. Nothing but an empty, lonely island that Zephyer could disappear into,   
away from the stresses of her life. Her ancestral home.  
  
She crossed the road that led up to Chaotix Central, and climbed a low bank. A   
gentle hill sloped up before her, dotted with trees and brush just putting out   
new leaves. Zephyer climbed the hill, often looking over her shoulder at the   
receiver plate. "Who do you expect to come after you?" she asked herself.   
"Knuckles was busy. How could he possibly know where you are?" But she still had   
the odd feeling that he knew.  
  
She pushed on up the hill, fighting her growing fatigue and pausing every now   
and then to look around. Her night vision was poor, for she had been in a   
well-lit hut ten minutes ago, but her eyes were adjusting. She could make out   
the shapes of the trees around her, and skirted them. She smelled the   
bittersweet odor of palm flowers, and heard the murmur of moth wings as they   
fluttered above her head. Zephyer wondered if there were any wild animals on the   
island, and made a note to ask Knuckles sometime.   
  
A restless bird chirped somewhere, and Zephyer stopped to rest and look around.   
She had reached the top of the hill, and through a gap in the trees she could   
see the moon rising above the mainland, which was only a ruffle along the   
horizon. The island must be about thirty miles out to sea.   
  
Her ears began to ring, and Zephyer knew she had pushed too hard. She sat down   
on the grass and watched the moon rise, letting herself rest, and enjoying the   
knowledge that nobody knew where she was, and that for the moment, she was her   
own master. As a child she had found a tunnel with an opening into the main   
cave, where the other echidnas gathered, and she would creep into her tunnel and   
spy on them with the same feeling of smugness.  
  
There was a flash from the teleporter receiver, and Zephyer jumped. How had he   
KNOWN? She didn't get up, though. Knuckles knew she was on the island ... but he   
would never find her unless she wanted him to. And she didn't want him to.  
  
She watched the moon rise, slowly silvering a cloud that hung in the sky above   
it, and wondered how Sonic and Sally were doing. They should be in Central   
Mobius by now, and Zephyer wondered how close they were to finding a chaos   
emerald. She also wondered if Sonic had the guts to propose to Sally, and   
smiled. She bet he didn't. Not yet, anyway.  
  
"Zephyer?" Knuckles called. He was at the foot of her hill. She looked toward   
him and thought about answering, and decided she would. "Up here," she called.  
  
She heard his feet crunching through the grass, and saw him reach the edge of   
the trees and pause uncertainty. "Where are you?"  
  
"Right here," said Zephyer, "watching the moon rise."  
  
Knuckles spotted her, walked over and sat down beside her. "Whatever possessed   
you to come out here at eight o'clock at night?"  
  
"I had to come," said Zephyer. "I couldn't stay in Eagle's Nest one more minute.   
Although you lucked out, this time. I was going to hike out and get lost on   
purpose."  
  
"I would have found you," said Knuckles. "I know every inch of this place."  
  
"Are there any wild animals here?"  
  
Knuckles thought for a moment. "Mostly I have birds, but there are lots of   
little critters ... rodents and the like. Big predators are too dangerous to   
keep around, but I understand there's a leopard on the west side."  
  
"A leopard?"  
  
"Yeah. I guess he swam ashore when I was taking on water one time. I'd hunt him   
down if he acted up, but he seems to mind his own business. You know the   
non-sentients--if they have enough food, they're happy."  
  
There was a moment of silence. The moon was behind the cloud now, and the cloud   
was rimmed in silver light.  
  
"Any more reasons why you can't marry me?" said Knuckles.  
  
"Yes, actually," said Zephyer, looking at him. "Why do you ask?"  
  
He shrugged. "You hit me blindside with those reasons, and I wanted to go on the   
offensive for once."  
  
"Blindside?" Zephyer grinned. "I'll try to think of more, then."  
  
"What's your current one?"  
  
Zephyer plucked a grass blade and broke it into smaller pieces with her metal   
fingers. "The Guardian's mate has to be approved by the elders. It's pretty   
important who the Guardian marries, politically."  
  
Knuckles shook his head. "Not politics again..."  
  
"Well, it is!" said Zephyer. "Somebody has to look after the island's best   
interests, and do you know anybody to approve me as a proper co-Guardian?"  
  
"All of Knothole seems to like you," said Knuckles.  
  
Zephyer waved a hand. "What do they know? And what about the initiation ceremony   
with the Master Emerald? You can't have a mainlander perform THAT."  
  
"My father will do that," said Knuckles quietly.  
  
Zephyer gazed at him in silence. They both knew that Knuckles's father lived in   
hiding somewhere, because he knew things about the power emeralds that must   
remain secret forever. Knuckles communicated with him once a year.  
  
Knuckles smiled. "He told me to give him a call when I decided to get married.   
All he said was to make sure I'd picked the right girl."  
  
Zephyer shook her head. "I'm not sure you have."  
  
"I am," said Knuckles. He put an arm around her, but she pulled away. Rebuffed,   
he asked, "Why do you do that?"  
  
She glared at him, her eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "You see all this metal?   
I hate it. Any time you touch me, I'm reminded that--that it'll never come   
off."  
  
"It WILL come off," said Knuckles. "Why don't you believe me?"  
  
Zephyer stood up and walked a few paces into the trees. Knuckles rose and   
followed her. She was crying. "I'm trying not to give up," she whispered, "but   
it's so hard."  
  
"Just hang on, Zeff," said Knuckles, taking her arm and guiding her back toward   
the teleporter. "I won't let you down."  
  


* * *

  
  
The dark object on the horizon was further away than it looked, and Sonic   
carried the unconscious Sally for half a mile. As he neared the dark mass, he   
realized it was an old fortress like a castle. There were no lights, so it must   
be abandoned, but it was shelter. Sonic carried Sally through the archway and   
into a courtyard, and peered around in the darkness. There were many vague   
shapes and shadows. Sonic wished for a flashlight, and set Sally down in a   
corner. "I'll be back," he whispered. He hated to leave her, but he needed his   
hands free to explore.  
  
Sonic crossed the courtyard and peered through an arch. The air smelled   
closed-in, and it was pitch black. Maybe he would venture in later. He moved off   
to investigate another passage, and heard echoes of the sea. He looked over his   
shoulder toward Sally, and saw a strange figure silhouetted against the   
courtyard.  
  
Sonic gasped and jumped sideways inside the doorway, heart thundering. He had   
heard nothing! "Who are you?" he called, watching the lighter patch of gray that   
was the doorway. "I was only looking around." Maybe it was a hermit who had   
adopted the fortress as his home. Sonic had heard people got eccentric living   
that way. The person didn't answer. At least it wasn't Robo Knux--Sonic's chaos   
field would be going haywire.  
  
There was a click, and a green glow reflected off the walls. Sonic risked a peek   
through the doorway and saw a fox's face inside a helmet lit by green instrument   
controls. "Oh, you're a fox," said Sonic, stepping into view. "I'm Sonic."  
  
The fox studied him for a long moment, then said, "Who is the girl? Is she   
hurt?"  
  
Good grief, he had found Sally! "Her name is Sally," said sonic. "She fainted   
and I was trying to find shelter."  
  
The fox said, "It is dangerous here. I am being tracked by an assassin robot,   
and it could arrive at any time."  
  
Sonic relaxed. An enemy of Robo Knux was a friend of his. "What a coincidence,   
so am I. Red robot? Long claws?"  
  
The fox nodded.   
  
"That's Robo Knux, Mecha-bot four," said Sonic. "He was chasing me, too. I guess   
we're on the same side." He extended a hand, and the fox shook it.  
  
"Call me Destro." His glove was made of chain mail, Sonic noticed.  
  
"Do you know a place where we can get indoors?"  
  
"Yes," said Destro, walking away. Sonic followed him and saw a side room by the   
glow of Destro's helmet. Inside it was a bed of leaves, and a small figure   
curled up on them.  
  
"Hey," said Sonic, lowering his voice. "You're the ones Robo Knux was chasing   
this morning, aren't you?"  
  
Destro gave him a hard look. "Are you the hedgehog who stopped him?"  
  
"That's me," said Sonic, grinning.   
  
"We're indebted to you," said Destro, bowing. "You may place your friend in   
here. I will keep watch outside."  
  
"Thanks," said Sonic, trotting out to get Sally.  
  
She was lying where he had left her, her breathing slow and deep. Sonic   
carefully lifted her, half-hoping she would wake up, but she merely sighed. His   
spine creaking, Sonic carried her into the antechamber and laid her down next to   
the sleeping rabbit. He stood there for ten minutes, unstrapping himself from   
the harness, then stepped outside to join Destro.  
  
The fox was sitting against the wall, a darker shadow in the darkness. "I will   
keep watch," he said as Sonic sat down. "You may sleep if you wish."  
  
"That's okay, I'm good," said Sonic, who wasn't ready to place his life in the   
armored hands of this stranger. "Why's Robo Knux after you?"  
  
Destro was silent a moment, then said, "He is hunting Cream, the rabbit."  
  
"Why?" said Sonic. "Does she have a chaos emerald or something?"  
  
"No," said Destro.  
  
They sat in silence for ten minutes, and nothing happened. Sonic began to nod   
off, and crawled into the room with the two sleepers. He curled up on the leaves   
and went to sleep, making a mental note to wake up if Destro moved.  
  


* * *

  
  
Sally awoke at dawn and found herself freezing cold, with a warm body snuggled   
up against her. Upon closer inspection she saw it was a young rabbit with   
enormous ears, with a chao sleeping in one of them. Sally sat up and saw Sonic   
was snoring in the doorway of the room, and she could smell the sea.  
  
She ached all over from Sonic's wild flight, and the last thing she remembered   
was a sick euphoria as the roaring air created a vacuum inside her helmet. She   
had thought her head was going to pop, then she blacked out.  
  
When Sally moved, the rabbit stirred and stretched, and now lay looking at her.   
"Hi," she said. "I'm Cream. Who are you?"  
  
"I'm Sally Acorn," said the squirrel. "Where did you come from?"  
  
"Where did YOU come from?" said Cream. "It was only Destro here when I went to   
sleep. Did he let you come in?"  
  
"I don't know," said Sally, standing up and wincing at her sore muscles. She   
nudged Sonic with a toe. "Wake up, juggernaut. Where are we?"  
  
Sonic rolled over and yawned. "Five more minutes, that's all."  
  
"No, NOW," said Sally, prodding him harder. "Where are we?"  
  
Sonic sat up and looked at Cream. "Oh, hi. I'm Sonic. Sally, we're in a castle   
by the beach. It was the closest shelter I could find. Hey Destro, you still out   
there?"  
  
"Yes," came the fox's voice, and he stepped into sight, looking exhausted.  
  
"Hey man, you look dead on your feet," said Sonic, getting up. "Did you sleep at   
all?"  
  
"I was keeping watch," said Destro stiffly.  
  
Cream trotted to Destro and hugged him around the waist. "Good morning! Do you   
think we can go home today?"  
  
Destro stepped out of her grasp with a pained expression. "We'll see. The danger   
is not past."  
  
"I'll say," said Sonic. "Robo Knux is nuttier than ever, and he's got a weird   
distortion around him."  
  
Cream and Monty looked at Sonic. "What do you mean?" said Monty.  
  
"Hey, a chao," said Sonic. "I like chao. Robo Knux makes me go all weird when he   
comes close. I've never felt anything like it."  
  
Monty and Cream exchanged glances. "Do you think he followed you?" asked Monty.  
  
"Naw, I lost him when I broke the sound barrier," said sonic with a grin. "You   
guys got anything to eat?"  
  
"No," said Cream, Monty and Destro in unison. "But we can eat carrots," said   
Cream. "There's lots of them in the fields."  
  
"Carrots," said sonic with distaste. "I'll keep that in mind." He trotted out of   
the courtyard.  
  
Sally drew a deep breath. "I'm going to look around. Do you want to come?"  
  
"I do!" said Cream. "I want to go to the beach! Come on, Destro!" She ran out of   
the courtyard, and Sally followed with Destro trailing behind.  
  
Sally walked to the cliff tops and gazed at the ocean. The tide was going out,   
and a strip of sand was exposed at the foot of the cliffs. Cream walked beside   
her with Monty toddling behind them. "Can we go down there?"  
  
"If we can find a way down," said Sally. "Do you live around here?"  
  
"I live in Carrotseed," said Cream, her strong ear standing up, then drooping   
again. "We ran away because of the robot, and Destro rescued me and we ran all   
the way down here. I saw Sonic attack the robot yesterday."  
  
"Is that you we saw?" said Sally, marveling at the coincidence. "You must be   
able to run fast."  
  
"Destro uses his rocket pack when we need to go fast," said Cream, skipping a few   
paces. "Hey, that looks like a trail over there." She pointed to a path snaking   
down the cliff side.  
  
Sally said, "You're right. Let's go."  
  
The squirrel, rabbit and chao descended the steep path, dislodging pebbles that   
rolled down ahead of them. The cliffs were twenty feet high, and the rock walls   
were damp from the tide. Cream and Monty reached the sand first and ran toward   
the water. Sally walked after them, holding the emerald tracker in one hand. The   
cliffs formed a small cove, and unless the tide dropped lower, there was no way   
out except by the trail. Sally glanced at the cliff tops and saw Destro watching   
them. Such an odd bird. Sally had known some oddballs in her years as a Freedom   
Fighter, and Destro did not worry her. He had rescued Cream from Robo Knux, so   
he must have a good heart. Speaking of oddballs, where had Sonic gone? She   
switched on the tracker.  
  
She located Sonic several miles from their current position, cruising toward a   
town on the coast. He was probably hunting for breakfast. Out of curiosity she   
scanned for the green emerald, and picked it up back inland.  
  
"Can I see that?" said Cream, appearing at Sally's elbow. Sally held it where   
the rabbit could see it, and the screen shivered in Cream's interference. Monty   
ran up beside his mistress, and the interference waned. "I'm not allowed to   
touch computers," said Cream. "What's that stuff on the screen?"  
  
"This tracks the chaos field," said Sally, wondering how much Cream would blab   
later on. "This is Sonic, here. This is a chaos emerald, and this is you." She   
tapped a blotch the size of the emerald, but more random.  
  
"Wow, you can pick up my chaos field," said Cream. "What's that over there?" She   
pointed at the screen and it flickered under her finger. "It looks like a   
cinnamon roll."  
  
A spiral of chaos energy was speeding toward their position, and it was twice   
the size it had been yesterday. Sally's stomach lurched. "That's Robo Knux."   
Suddenly the cove with its lapping waves seemed like a trap. "We need to get   
back to the castle, quick."  
  
Cream's eyes widened, and she ran for the trail, Sally right behind her. Monty   
gave a cry and stared at the cliff tops, seeing something that other eyes could   
not, and Sally felt the same blast of power that had knocked her down the   
evening before. The tracker screen faded to static, and she staggered and fell   
on the sand, feeling a sick disorientation. Cream was holding her ears, and   
Monty was standing beside her, teeth bared.  
  
Robo Knux blasted into sight and hovered above the cove, the jets in his   
dreadlocks roaring. The air around him shimmered with a vague purple haze, and   
Sally squinted through it, wondering if her eyes were deceiving her. Robo Knux   
had changed from bright red to a dull maroon, his eyes were ice blue, and   
painted on his forehead were a collection of geometric shapes.   
  
"Is he the same robot?" Sally wondered in panic. Robo Knux was bad enough, but   
an unknown was even worse. His head turned and his eyes focused on them, shading   
back to green. It was him.  
  
She saw Destro on the cliff behind the robot lower his visor, and Sally's   
military-mind snapped into action. If Robo Knux charged them, he would collide   
with the cliffs. Destro would do the same if he attempted a rescue. But maybe   
she could distract Robo Knux long enough for Destro to rescue Cream. She could   
use her tracker as a shield if she had to, and there was always the ocean, her   
last defense against robots.  
  
Sally ran under the hovering robot, waving and yelling, "Hey you! Bet you can't   
get me!" What things did Sonic say in times like these? Not that it mattered;   
Robo Knux was watching her, flexing his claws. She ran through the hot blast   
from his jets, her feet churning the sand, and saw the light change as he dove   
after her. Great, you've got his attention, now what do you do?  
  
She looked back and saw him diving after her with his hands clasped in front of   
him like a mace. The air around him shimmered with chaos power, and her nerve   
failed. She dropped flat, and Robo Knux shot past her like a homing missile. She   
jumped up in time to see him slow and spin around, feet touching the ground. She   
had counted on him remaining airborne. On foot she had no hope at all. Why   
didn't Sonic come back? She glanced at Cream in time to see Destro scoop her up   
and rocket to safety.  
  
Sally returned her gaze to her enemy as he ran at her, claws outstretched, eyes   
a cold blue. He was so fast she had no time to shield herself with the   
tracker--on instinct she threw out her hands.  
  
Her hands closed on his razor-sharp claws, and time slowed to a crawl. The chaos   
energy smote her a dizzying blow, and his diamond-tipped claws sliced her hands   
like razors. She looked into the electronic eyes, and saw the madness there. Her   
feet slipped backward through the sand. Still he drove forward, and still she   
clung to the claws, holding them away from her. The chaos energy beat against   
her body and mind, painful beyond enduring, whipping in a hurricane around and   
around. Although Robo Knux had drawn it, it had nowhere to go, no natural   
abilities to enhance, and could only swirl in a tighter and tighter vortex--  
  
It seemed she had clung to his claws forever, being driven backward through the   
sand with the fierce disjointed energy devouring her, her hands bleeding, unable   
to let go or he would kill her-- She looked at him again and saw his head lift   
and his eyes focus on her. He was surprised. "What are you doing?" he snarled,   
each word coming slow and thick through the chaos field. "Why haven't I hurt   
you?"  
  
He tried to pull free, but Sally held his claws in either hand, not   
understanding how she was doing it, but certain that if she let go he would run   
her through. She found her footing and pushed him back, laboring through the   
molasses that was time and space inside the field distortion. She was pushing   
him back, and he was astonished. He struggled to break her hold, but her hands   
remained clenched on his claws, her eyes burning. The spiraling, whirling chaos   
energy began to center on Sally, sucking into her like filings into a magnet.   
She was an outlet for the chaos charge Robo Knux had accumulated, and suddenly   
she was a match for him.  
  
Sally twisted and dealt the robot a karate kick between the eyes. Time snapped   
back to normal, and the robot flew across the cove and smashed into the cliff   
wall.   
  
She looked at her hands and saw that his claws had laid them open in three neat   
slices across her palms and fingers. Her hands hummed with the chaos charge, and   
she felt the madness swirling inside her, threatening to overwhelm her mind. "Oh   
my gosh, I'm turning into Robo Knux," she gasped as thoughts of blood and mayhem   
poured into her head.  
  
She sank to her knees, clutching her head with her torn hands, trying to think   
clearly. The world was spinning as she tried to absorb the lethal amounts of   
energy. The pain in her hands was the only thing in the world that was real.   
They were bleeding. Behind her was the ocean. Maybe the shock of saltwater in   
her wounds would wake her up. Fighting the mists, Sally rose and moved toward   
the water, hands outstretched like a sleepwalker. She carried with her a   
whirlwind of deadly chaos energy.  
  
The clash had taken a split second in real time. Destro, Cream and Monty watched   
in astonishment as Robo Knux charged at Sally, who caught him by the claws and   
kicked him into the wall.  
  
"How'd she do that?" gasped Cream.  
  
"His tornado has split in two," said Monty, watching the chaos field in   
disbelief. "It's an arc, one part on him, one part on her. This is really bad!"  
  
"Cream," said Destro, "go back to the castle. You'll be safe there."  
  
"I'm not afraid," said Cream, watching as Sally waded into the surf and bathed   
her hands.  
  
"That's not the point," said Destro through his teeth. "I must destroy the   
robot, and you mustn't be hurt."  
  
"Phooey," said Cream, pouting. "What do you think, Monty?"  
  
The chao was gazing toward the castle. "I think you should do like he says."  
  
"Double phooey!" said Cream.  
  
"Run," said Destro, and the rabbit trotted sulkily back toward the castle.  
  
Destro drew his sword. This was it, the reason the Lightgiver had drawn him to   
this place. To make an end of the robot. And yet he hesitated. The Lightgiver   
was asking him to wait a few minutes longer. Destro chafed, trembling in   
eagerness for a fight, and waited on the cliff top.  
  


* * *

  
  
"It's not fair," Cream complained as she walked to the castle entrance. Her   
chaos field was moving in a circle around her in response to the robot's   
cyclone, and Monty was frantically trying to stop it.  
  
"It is too fair," he snapped. "The robot's chaos storm is affecting your field   
and making it spin. Get inside the walls, quick."  
  
"I wanted to see the robot and Destro fight!" said Cream, forgetting that the   
last battle she had witnessed left her in tears for an hour afterward. Monty   
didn't mention this. His field had little effect on hers, and hers was getting   
stronger. It had nothing to do with her mood.  
  
"Cream, you need to sit down and be very quiet," said Monty, his voice   
trembling. But Cream was staring around the corner of the castle. "Daddy!   
Mommy!" she shrieked and bolted toward them, dropping Monty.  
  
A green rabbit and a butterscotch rabbit were peering into the castle courtyard   
when their daughter flung herself upon them, screaming their names. Eva and Jazz   
caught her up in a relieved hug, tears rolling down Eva's cheeks. Monty puffed   
up to them a moment later, thankful to see that Eva was absorbing Cream's excess   
energy.  
  
"Where have you two been?" said Jazz, never one to show emotion for very long.   
"And where's that berserker who was with you?"  
  
"He's down at the beach fighting the robot," said Cream from her mother's arms.   
"Something bad happened to Sally, and Destro's going to save her. He told me to   
come back here so I couldn't watch. Isn't that awful?"  
  
"Yes, just awful," said Jazz, shouldering his gun with a maniac glint in his   
eyes. "I'll be back." He jogged around the castle corner.  
  
He had been gone thirty seconds when there was a burst of air and Sonic appeared   
in a cloud of dust. "Hi kiddo, this your mom?" he said. He shook Eva's hand.   
"I'm Sonic, and I saved Cream from being made into butter."  
  
"Sally's been attacked," said Monty. "By Robo Knux. Jazz went to help Destro   
fight him."  
  
Sonic's eyes widened, and he sprinted away in another rush of wind.  
  
"Hey mom," said Cream, "if we go up on the battlements, we can watch!"  
  
"I don't think so, young lady," said Eva. "You let your father handle this. Look   
at you, you're filthy!"  
  
"No baths," said Cream proudly. "Monty, what are you doing?"  
  
The chao was tugging the hem of her dress. "Let's go in the castle, please," he   
begged.  
  
Just as they stepped through the gateway, a blast of chaos energy rocked it to   
its foundations.  
  


* * *

  
  
Sonic joined Jazz and Destro on the cliff top and looked down at Sally standing   
knee deep in the water. Robo Knux was climbing to his feet. "What's Sally doing   
down there?" said Sonic, aghast. "Sally, run!"  
  
"She's drawn off part of the robot's chaos field," said Destro, running his   
thumb along his sword's blade. "She appears hypnotized."  
  
Jazz had his gun trained on Robo Knux, and he spoke without lifting his head.   
"Chaos field? That's bad. Hello, Sonic."  
  
"Hey, Jazz," said Sonic, still watching Sally. "What'd happen if I ran down and   
carried her out?"  
  
"You might attract the robot's attention," said Jazz, watching through his   
sights as Robo Knux brushed sand off himself and strode toward Sally.  
  
Sonic stiffened. "I've got my belt, they can't hurt me!" He swiped his hands   
across the invisible belt around his waist, and his fur began to glow, colors   
rippling through his spines. Jazz and Destro stared at him. Destro's armor   
absorbed the power radiating off Sonic and recharged his batteries.  
  
"You, sir, are a menace," said Jazz. "Your chaos field is nuts, and you're going   
to interfere with them?"  
  
"Watch me," said Sonic, and dove off the cliff.  
  
Jazz and Destro exchanged glances, and Jazz cocked his gun. "When the robot   
follows him, see how many limbs you can hack off."   
  
Destro nodded.  
  
Hyper Sonic flashed up to Sally and hovered above the water. "Sally!" he said.  
  
Her pupils had contracted so far her eyes were solid blue. "Hi," she said. Her   
hands were bleeding and her vest was stained where she had wiped them.  
  
"Sally, I'll get you out of here, come on!" said Sonic, holding out his hands.  
  
Sally looked at them, and with maddening slowness she shook her head. "Can't   
touch," she said, smiling. "Kill you, kill me."  
  
"What are you talking about?" said Hyper Sonic. "Robo Knux is coming!"  
  
The robot was pacing toward them, his eyes ice blue. Sonic blinked--he had never   
seen Robo Knux use a different color setting.   
  
Sally watched him without interest. "Yes. Don't touch him. Kill you. The chaos   
is strong ... it's so strong..."  
  
Robo Knux stopped at the water's edge. Sonic felt his own chaos field warp and   
twist, and a wave of dizziness struck him through his shield of invincibility.   
  
Suddenly he was afraid. The last time had felt such raw uncontrolled power, he   
had been the focal point of a chaos flux. He turned and grabbed Sally.  
  
The world shattered into a million colored pieces. Sonic was outside the walls,   
careening bodiless through space, gawking at the fragments--then he opened his   
eyes and the world fell into place again. He was lying on the sand next to the   
cliffs, and the wall above him was crumbling where he had struck it. A rumble   
like thunder was still fading into the distance as the immense wave of power   
traveled over the countryside. Groaning, Sonic sat up and realized he was no   
longer glowing. Sally and Robo Knux were standing at the seaside, watching him   
with bland curiosity.  
  
Sonic climbed to his feet, knees shaking. He felt weak and drained as if he had   
taken an electric shock. Had Sally done that to him? He checked his emerald belt   
to make sure it was still there, and plodded back toward the ocean, where Sally   
and Robo Knux waited for him. He glanced up at Destro and Jazz, who were just   
picking themselves up and looking confused.  
  
Robo Knux motioned at Sonic. Sally waded out of the water, eyes blank. She   
walked toward Sonic like a puppet on strings, and Sonic froze. That wasn't the   
Sally he knew. "Sally," he called, "what's the matter with you?"  
  
She smiled and extended a hand. "Rescue me, Sonic."  
  
He backed away from her, eyes wide. "He's controlling you through the field,   
isn't he?"  
  
Sally frowned and closed her eyes. For a second she swayed, then she looked up   
again, and her eyes were normal. Then her pupils contracted into blank blue. Ice   
blue. Like Robo Knux's.  
  
Sonic clenched his teeth and said, "Sally, give me your hand." He wasn't Hyper   
this time, and nothing was going to make a salve out of Sally. She held out her   
hand, and he snatched her up, ignoring the chaos fields, and ran for the path   
that led up the cliff. Robo Knux ignited his jets and pursued, throwing up an   
arm to ward off the bullets from Jazz's gun.  
  
Up on the cliffs, Jazz cursed. "D'Arvit! The caliber is too small!"  
  
Destro ran to the top of the cliff path and waited, sword held ready. Sonic   
reached the top of the cliff, wheezing. Destro pointed at the castle. "Get her   
in there. The walls are shielded." Sonic nodded and dashed away just as Robo   
Knux flew to the top of the cliffs, claws extended. Destro sprang forward and   
swung his sword with all his strength.  
  
Robo Knux was knocked to the ground, two of his dreadlock-jets sliced and   
pouring smoke. The robot snarled and cursed at Destro, backing away. Destro   
strode toward him, but Robo Knux turned and fled up the coast. Destro ignited   
his jetpack and followed him.  
  


* * *

  
  
When Sonic carried Sally into the castle courtyard, Monty screamed and hid   
behind Cream. A chaos distortion was centered on Sally like a black wound,   
leaking power in all directions, and a cord snaked out of it, over the wall and   
out of sight.  
  
Sonic laid Sally on the ground and knelt beside her. Eva and Cream hurried up to   
them. "What's wrong?" asked Eva. "Did that fiend hurt her?"  
  
"No, Jazz didn't hit us," said Sonic. "She's caught in Robo Knux's chaos   
field."  
  
Cream shoved her chao forward. "Any ideas on what to do?"  
  
"She--she--" Monty stuttered, then hid his face against Cream's leg.  
  
Sally sat up and shook her head. Through the wavering mess that was the chaos   
distortion, she could see everyone else's chaos fields like glowing auras.   
Sonic's was red and violet--angry and frightened. Cream's was a cheerful yellow,   
and Monty's was soothing blue. Eva had no field, and Sally watched as her own   
dark field was sucked into her. Somewhere out there, Robo Knux was laughing. It   
frightened Sally--he was planning to return for her.  
  
"I never knew the lovely power of chaos," he whispered in her ear. "And what   
better way to drive Sonic mad than to pour my power into you until you die? You   
have a strong mind, but you are neutral to chaos." It was the same mesmerizing   
voice that had held her prisoner down on the beach when she so desperately   
wanted to run.  
  
"He's going to kill me," she said to Sonic.  
  
"I know he tried to kill you, but you're safe now," said Sonic.  
  
Eva said, "Sally, you need to sit quietly. The distortion will abate."  
  
Sally nodded and took deep breaths, trying to stay calm. But Robo Knux was still   
there. "You can't break out of it that easily," he sneered. "Wouldn't it be   
funny if I started pushing power into you right now, while they were all   
watching? Actually, that's a good idea. I think I'll do that."  
  
She felt the field strengthen, squeezing her like a giant hand.  
  
Monty said, "It's getting worse. She's scaring me!"  
  
"He's trying to kill me," said Sally to Sonic. "He's pumping power into me."  
  
Eva sat down beside her and took her hands. "I absorb chaos energy ... maybe I   
can buffer it." At her touch, Sally felt the pressure weaken. Presently Monty   
ventured up and placed his paws on her knee. The pressure weakened more, and   
Sally felt Monty's comfort. "The field's shrinking," said Monty.  
  
Jazz appeared in the entrance, his gun slung over his shoulder. "What's going   
on?" he asked. Sally could see his chaos field, rippling and green, more   
controlled than Sonic's.  
  
"They're sucking up Sally's chaos distortion," said sonic, talking so fast Sally   
had to sort out his syllables. "Robo Knux is linked to her and he's trying to   
kill her."  
  
Cream ran to Jazz and hugged him, and he hugged her back without seeing her. "I   
don't get how a robot could attract chaos," he said, leaning his gun against the   
wall. "It's a machine. Chaos destroys machines."  
  
"He's sure using it somehow."  
  
"It, not 'he'," said Jazz. "Machines don't have genders."  
  
Sonic bristled, already on edge from seeing Sally endangered. "The Mecha-bots   
have programmed genders. They're male."  
  
"They're stinking robots!" snapped Jazz.  
  
"Robo Knux is laughing at both of you," said Sally. "He says he doesn't care   
what you call him, because he's going to kill me and win."  
  
Jazz and Sonic looked at her. "How do we stop it?" said Sonic.  
  
"We have to stop the robot," said Jazz. "And the only way the robot could be   
harnessing such power is if it had a chaos emerald."  
  
Sonic and Sally looked at each other. "Sonic," said Sally, "remember how the   
signal kept changing and moving around? Whenever we got close to it, Robo Knux   
would show up!"  
  
"But his signal was in a different place," said Sonic.  
  
Sally thought for a minute. "No," she said slowly. "I was picking up a ghost   
signal. I was tracking it from where Robo Knux had been, but when we reached the   
area, he had already left the area. That's why the signal kept moving around."  
  
"But it's the green emerald," said sonic, forgetting about Jazz. "Why would it   
cause a distortion?"  
  
"It's the way he's using it," said Sally. "He's sucking the global field into   
himself, and it can't enter his body because he's a machine, so it just spirals   
and tangles."  
  
Sonic smacked a fist into his palm. "Great. Now we have something to go on. Robo   
Knux has the emerald, so if we get it away from him, the distortion will go   
away. Right?"  
  
"Hopefully," said Sally. Eva and Monty had absorbed so much of the distortion   
that she felt normal, but the connection to the robot was still there, and he   
was listening. "He's heard everything," she added.  
  
"Tell him I dare him to fight me," said Sonic, eyes flashing. "Single combat,   
chaos field to chaos field."  
  
Robo Knux said nothing. Sonic watched Sally, who shook her head.  
  
"What's the matter?" said Sonic. "Chicken?"  
  
"He's mocking me," Robo Knux growled in Sally's ear. "I'll kill you both."  
  
A surge of power blasted into Sally, and she shrieked. Eva was knocked to the   
ground, and Monty jumped away from her. "He's trying to kill me!" Sally gasped.   
She felt as if a million tons of lead was pressing down on her. Monty the chao   
climbed into her lap, trembling. He put his paws on her chest and closed his   
eyes, exerting all his strength to slow the flow of power. He pushed it out into   
a spiral, as much as he hated to--if Sally was in the eye of the chaos storm,   
the power would cause less harm to her. She held him, conscious of Robo Knux's   
furious flight up the coast, shoving his power at her.  
  
Sonic hovered nearby, wanting to help Sally but not daring. Touching her meant   
setting foot in that chaos distortion and seeing the world explode into   
fragments again, a netherworld that he might not return from a second time. But   
Sally was suffering, and as Eva scrambled back to grab Sally's hands, and Jazz   
stepped outside to watch for robots, Sonic hated himself for his fear. Sally had   
become this way trying to save Cream, when he himself had bee off touring the   
countryside. She had fought Robo Knux hand to hand, and Sonic, who had faced   
down certain death before, could not summon the courage to comfort the girl he   
loved.  
  
He pushed forward and clasped her free hand. Sally looked up and smiled, but her   
eyes had taken on that hollow look he had seen before. "Stay with us, Sal," he   
said. He looked down at her hand and turned it over. The angry red cuts shocked   
him, and the cut on her palm was still bleeding.  
  
"I grabbed him by his claws," said Sally, looking at her hand. "It was silly of   
me."  
  
"It was very brave," said Eva. "You were unarmed."  
  
"I should have been there," said Sonic. "We can't even bandage your hands!" His   
chaos field added to Sally's distortion, making the distortion more powerful.  
  
"Honey," said Eva, "you're making it worse."  
  
Sonic released Sally and stormed out of the courtyard, hating chaos and   
everything that went with it.  
  
Jazz was standing with his gun resting on the ground, peering up and down the   
coastline. Sonic stamped up to him. "If not for you this wouldn't have   
happened."  
  
Jazz gave him a sharp look. "I'm lucky I got here when I did. You're the one who   
left his girlfriend all alone."  
  
Sonic's retort was interrupted by the roar of a rocket, and Destro flew up and   
landed. There were two deep cuts across his upper arm, and his breastplate had   
been pared open like an aluminum can. He staggered as he landed and leaned on   
his sword. "He's coming. He's injured, but he was too fast for me. I need to   
recharge."  
  
"Thanks, we can handle him," said Sonic. "Where is he?"  
  
Destro pointed.  
  
Robo Knux rounded the far corner of the castle and stood looking at them. His   
chest had opened to expose a cylinder with three rocket heads protruding from   
it. Jazz leveled his gun on the robot, but held his fire. Robo Knux didn't move,   
and there was a tense thirty seconds as they stared at each other.  
  
"What do you want?" Sonic said at last.  
  
"You challenged me," said the robot. "Chaos field to chaos field."  
  
"Still want to do it?"  
  
Robo Knux nodded. Two of his dreadlocks were missing.  
  
Sonic glanced at Jazz and Destro. "Go into the castle, guys." They moved away,   
keeping their eyes on the robot.  
  
They were halfway to the castle when Robo Knux fired a rocket at them. Jazz   
bolted for cover with Sonic-esque speed, and Destro ignited his jetpack and flew   
straight up. Sonic dodged away, and the rocket blew a fiery hole in the ground.   
Sonic charged through the smoke at Robo Knux, but the robot had vanished. Sonic   
kept moving, glancing into the courtyard to make sure the others were all right,   
when a wave of dizziness struck him. Robo Knux flashed out of nowhere and rammed   
Sonic with the flat of his arm, and Sonic went flying.   
  
He landed on one knee, bounded to his feet without bothering to see how much fur   
he had scraped off, and whirled to face his enemy. He was just in time to dodge   
a swipe from diamond-tipped claws that would have sliced him like an apple, then   
took a kick to the stomach that knocked him into the castle wall.  
  
Winded, Sonic forced himself to his feet and ran, gasping. When Robo Knux was   
close enough for hand to hand combat, his chaos field twisted Sonic's so much   
that Sonic lost his bearings.  
  
As he ran, Robo Knux slid open panels on his arm to reveal a plasma cannon,   
which he had been charging for two days. The robot took aim at Sonic's fleeing   
figure and fired.  
  
Sonic changed directions in mid-stride as a bolt of ultra-heated plasma flashed   
past him and ignited the grass. Sonic dodged away, his only consolation being   
that Robo Knux was firing away from his friends.  
  
This same thought seemed to occur to Robo Knux. He turned and aimed his cannon   
at Sally, Eva, Cream and Monty.  
  
"Is there nothing you won't do?" Sonic yelled.  
  
Robo Knux made a pretense of stroking his chin in thought. "Let me think. No."   
  
Sonic started toward him, and Robo Knux said, "By all means, keep moving   
forward. I can kill them in two shots."  
  
Sonic froze.  
  
Under the cover of the castle wall, Jazz held Eva's homemade rail gun, watching   
the power meter as it charged. "Get them back here," he hissed to Destro, who   
beckoned to the girls. Cream dashed to him, and Eva rose, helping Sally.   
  
Robo Knux watched them. "Go ahead, leave. I have Sally too well ensnared." As he   
spoke, Sally froze and her eyes unfocused.  
  
Eva planted herself in front of the squirrel. "Leave her alone, you fiend!"  
  
Robo Knux looked at her and his eyes flashed. "Maybe I'll kill you, too. Seeing   
as you're the green rabbit's mate."  
  
Sally had observed this skirmish from within her distortion, listening to Robo   
Knux's muttered curses and exclamations as he fought with Sonic. Poor Sonic, out   
there fighting for her! She had to do something, and she couldn't let Robo Knux   
take Eva hostage.  
  
Now, as Robo Knux held her and Eva in his crosshairs, Sally took matters into   
her own hands. She stepped forward, keeping her face blank. It wasn't hard to   
do, for the distortion was doing its best to wipe her mind.  
  
"Sally!" Sonic shouted. "Sally, what are you doing?"  
  
Sally ignored him, concentrating on her zombie stare. Robo Knux watched her.   
"Yes, come to me," he purred in her ear. "Together our chaos fields have the   
power to blow this castle into the sea."  
  
She felt their chaos fields strike and merge, and hesitated as the silent blast   
of power threatened to make her faint. She pushed forward anyway, and stepped up   
to the robot's side. He turned his gun on Eva, who was standing there with her   
mouth open.  
  
Sally's skin crawled as she stood beside Robo Knux and looked at the scratches   
in his paint, the patches on his body, and the fine seams where his outer hull   
could fold open to reveal weapons. The chaos field was so strong she felt like   
she was being pulled apart at the seams, and spots swam in front of her eyes. If   
he had a chaos emerald, it must be embedded inside his body.  
  
She felt a touch on her ankle and looked down. Monty the chao had followed her,   
and was shivering beside her foot. She picked him up stiffly.  
  
"A chao," said Robo Knux. "How about I sharpen my claws on it?"  
  
Monty talked fast. "There's something powerful inside his chest and Jazz has a   
rail gun so step aside."  
  
Sally took two steps backward, and a projectile traveling above the speed of   
sound punched through Robo Knux as if he was made of paper.  
  
"Clever," said the robot, picking himself up and looking at the hole through his   
torso. "However, the last time Sonic did that, I moved my internal core down six   
inches, so all you've done is provide me with an extra cooling vent."  
  
But through the four-inch hole Sally could see the green glow of a chaos   
emerald.  
  
"You know what?" Robo Knux continued, turning to look at Sonic, "I'm really   
peeved at you, so I'm going to kill your girlfriend to teach you a lesson." He   
held his gun to Sally's face.  
  
Sally sprang forward, slid her hand through the hole into Robo Knux's hot   
interior, seized the emerald and wrenched it free, adding new cuts to her   
already gashed hand.  
  
Robo Knux slammed her to the ground and grappled with her, trying to take the   
emerald from her, and around them the chaos field went haywire, a whirlwind of   
dust swirling into view, growing stronger and darker the longer they fought.  
  
Sonic and Jazz struck the robot at the same time, one with a spindash, the other   
with the butt of his gun. They knocked Robo Knux off Sally and beat him toward   
the cliffs, moving so fast that they looked like a second whirlwind. Sally lay   
where she had fallen, holding the emerald to her chest and nursing her hand.   
Monty stood near her, gazing raptly at the emerald.  
  
At the edge of the cliff Robo Knux broke free of Jazz and Sonic, leaped into   
space and ignited the jets in his dreadlocks. "I'm not finished with either of   
you," he snarled, and roared away.  
  
  


This story archived at: The Domain of NetRaptor

  



	3. Chapter 3: The Battle

**25. Silver Lining: Part 3: The Battle**

  


by NetRaptor1

  
Silver Lining  
  
By K. M. Hollar  
  
__________________  
I didn't come lookin' for trouble  
And I don't want to fight needlessly  
But I'm not going to hide in a bubble  
If trouble comes for me  
I can feel my heart beating faster  
I can tell something's going down  
But if it's going to make me grow stronger, then...  
BRING IT ON!  
--Steven Curtis Chapman, Bring It On  
  
__________________  
Part 3: The Battle  
__________________  
  
Knuckles watched as the derobotizer reduced a piece of biometal to flaming   
cinders, and sprayed it with the fire extinguisher, teeth bared. He was ready to   
tear the machine to pieces. Instead he left the tree house, glided to the ground,   
and ran to a rock outcropping, where he had taken to venting his frustration. He   
smashed three boulders to pieces, broke the pieces, and carried them to a pile   
of broken rock he was making. He felt better when he finished, and went for a   
walk among the trees.  
  
Sonic and Sally had been gone three days. There had been no word from them, not   
even a line to assure him they were looking for an emerald. During that period,   
Knuckles had persuaded Zephyer to eat three times. She was wasting away before   
his eyes, and the most horrible thing about it was that he could do nothing.  
  
He had asked the Knothole doctor for help, who told him that Robotization trauma   
syndrome was psychological as well as physical, and to try giving her liquids.   
The last meal Knuckles had forced down her had been a milkshake, and he was   
planning to do it again in a few hours.  
  
Knuckles circled a tree bigger around than a car, debating climbing it with his   
claws, and saw Tails preparing to climb the ladder to Eagle's Nest. "Why don't   
you fly?" Knuckles called.  
  
Tails jumped and looked around. "Oh, hi Knuckles! I've tried flying up there,   
but I can't make it." He walked up to the echidna. "I wanted to talk to you,   
actually. Do you need any help with the derobotizer?"  
  
"No," said Knuckles, walking off.  
  
Tails followed him. "I helped build the derobotizer. I could help reconfigure   
it. You can't have much biometal left, and it's been, what, two months?"  
  
Knuckles considered. He was at the end of his rope idea-wise, running out of   
biometal, and time was running out for Zephyer. Pride was not an option. He   
turned to the fox. "All right. Let's go up to the workshop."  
  
Once inside the workshop, Tails poured over Knuckles's notes for an hour while   
Knuckles thumbed through a cookbook, trying to find something that might tempt   
Zephyer. At last Tails looked up with bright eyes. "Have you tried changing the   
malfilibration frequency?"  
  
"If it goes past fifty-eight hundred, the syncronite carbonium filter becomes   
unstable," said Knuckles, throwing the cookbook on the control panel. "And that   
makes the nanipolar beam pulse too fast."  
  
"Maybe we need a higher pulse rate," said Tails, grabbing a pair of needle nose   
pliers and prodding the machine's exposed innards. "I'm going to change the   
Z-axis synchronization, you've got it misaligned."  
  
"It's not misaligned," said Knuckles. "I moved it to unbalance the Y-axis,   
because they were generating too much heat."  
  
The conversation continued in this vein as Tails investigated every change that   
Knuckles had made. Knuckles was relieved to talk out his ideas with someone who   
understood them, and was amazed at some of the changes Tails proposed.   
  
Tails decided they needed a certain kind of wire router, and retreated into a   
corner with a welding torch to make one. He had made so many of his own parts   
for projects that he could take a few bits of metal and wire and make anything.  
  
Knuckles noticed Zephyer standing outside the window, and went outside. "Why   
don't you come in?"  
  
"I didn't want to disturb you," said Zephyer, hands clasped behind her back.   
"Does Tails have any ideas?"  
  
"A few," said Knuckles, watching the listless way Zephyer's eyes slid past him.   
"Come have lunch with me."  
  
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, as if eating had become a joke. "All   
right."  
  
Knuckles took her to the kitchen hut and made her sit at the tiny table while he   
dumped several kinds of fruit into a blender. He poured the resulting mixture   
into two cups and handed one to Zephyer, sitting down across from her.  
  
She raised the cup to her lips, then set it down again. "I can't."  
  
"Yes you can," Knuckles growled.  
  
She looked at him, then gazed out the window. Knuckles watched her, the fear in   
his heart gaining strength. He had never seen anyone simply quit trying. "Zeff,"   
he said, leaning forward, "don't give up now."  
  
She looked at him without expression.  
  
"You have to keep fighting," said Knuckles. "You're a fighter. You're an   
echidna! You can't let the metal win."  
  
She rested her head on one hand. "I'm just ... so tired. I've been fighting it   
for so long, you have no idea what it's like."  
  
"One more day is all I'm asking," said Knuckles. "Please. Fight it one more   
day."  
  
She looked at him a moment, then sighed and sipped her drink. Knuckles kept an   
eye on her as he drank his own. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked.  
  
"No," said Zephyer, then paused. "Yes. Get the metal off me. I don't care how   
bad it hurts me. If I die, then at least I'll die derobotized." For a second the   
old flash was back in her eyes.  
  
"All right," said Knuckles. "I'm sure Tails and I will have come up with   
something by tomorrow."  
  
"Yes." Zephyer lapsed back into her stupor and drank half of her drink without   
noticing. At last she shoved her glass aside and sighed. "No more."  
  
"Come back to the workshop with me," said Knuckles. "Tails is brilliant." He   
wanted to keep an eye on her, but couldn't say it.  
  
Zephyer nodded, got up and followed him outside, groping at the wall to support   
herself. Knuckles took her arm. "Fight it, Zeff."  
  
"I'm losing," she panted. "Why fight if I'm losing?"  
  
"You won't lose," said Knuckles through his teeth. "Because I won't let you."  
  
Tails looked up as they walked in, and he stared at Zephyer as Knuckles helped   
her to a chair in the corner. As Knuckles walked up to Tails, the fox gave him a   
horrified look. Tails had not seen Zephyer since her downward spiral began, and   
the gauntness of her face shocked him.   
  
"I've added a new calibration setup," said Tails, pointing to a series of   
circuits. "Instead of deactivating the nanite swarm, it sends them a command to   
break apart."  
  
"I've tried that," said Knuckles. "Biometal nanites are bonded. They don't act   
like typical ore-based nanites."  
  
"I thought of that, so I painted this piece of biometal with lubricant," said   
Tails, placing an oily metal strip inside the glass tube, under the lens. "The   
nanites break up without fragmenting, so the heat won't be so extreme."  
  
He turned on the machine, and the yellow beam illuminated the metal strip. For a   
second nothing happened--then the strip shattered, bits plinking off the tube   
like shrapnel. Knuckles and Tails exchanged glances.  
  
"Well, it's progress," said Tails. He flipped off the machine and opened the   
panel over its insides.   
  
Knuckles opened the tube and picked up the shattered bits. "If we could make   
them separate with less force, that might work. What lubricant did you use?"  
  
"Vaseline," said Tails, grinning sheepishly. "It was all I could find."  
  
In the corner, Zephyer lifted her head. "Try using an organic lubricant, like   
butter."  
  
"Butter?" said Knuckles. "Why?"  
  
"If the bionanites liked the Vaseline, maybe they'll like something organic even   
better."  
  
Knuckles looked at Tails. "Be right back." He sprinted from the hut.  
  
Tails looked at Zephyer. "What do you polish yourself with?"  
  
"A bottle of polish," said Zephyer. "But I oil myself with all kinds of things,   
and animal fat and vegetable oil seem to work the best."  
  
Knuckles returned with an armful of bottles and containers from the kitchen. "I   
got everything that resembles oil," said Knuckles. "Let's try this."  
  
Together Knuckles and Tails smothered biometal fragments in everything from lard   
to palm oil, and watched what happened when they were placed in the derobotizer.   
The metal broke apart with varying degrees of violence, and the one with the   
mildest amount of force was the metal greased with olive oil. The biometal   
bonded with it and the nanites eased apart.  
  
Knuckles looked at Zephyer, who was watching with the first sign of interest she   
had shown in days. "I think this is it, Zeff."  
  
"Good," she said. "You want to derobotize me right now?"  
  
Knuckles had a vision of her dying before his eyes, and thought of the green chaos   
emerald that he was certain he still needed. "Let me make some calls first," he   
said, and sprinted from the room.  
  


* * *

  
  
Sally felt the power drain from her like water into the ground, leaving her weak   
and empty. But she had the green chaos emerald in both hands, the key to Robo   
Knux's power and the cause of the field distortion. "Mission accomplished," she   
thought, and was wondering how long it would take to hike back to the Cyclone   
when Sonic stooped over her. "Sal, are you okay?"  
  
"Fine," she said, sitting up and handing the emerald to him. He took it without   
a second glance and helped her to her feet. He looked at her freshly cut hands   
and sucked in his breath through his teeth. "Ooo Sal!"  
  
"Robo Knux had sharp edges," said Sally, wincing.  
  
Jazz trotted up and glanced at Sally's hands. "Scratched up, eh? Let's go down   
to Windbay, they can patch you up there."  
  
Sonic ran into the old castle and emerged a moment later, struggling into the   
harness. Jazz snickered and pretended to sneeze. "Yeah, laugh it up," growled   
Sonic. "Help me put this on, somebody."  
  
"I will!" said Cream, scampering out to him.  
  
Sonic side eyed her. "Uh, thanks Cream, but I was thinking of someone taller."  
  
"I'll give you a hand," said Jazz, smirking and setting his gun aside. "What is   
it, a parachute harness?"  
  
"It's a saddle," said Sonic, flushing for no reason. "This strap goes around   
here and connects to this--"  
  
"Cream," said Sally, "could you get me my computer from back in the castle?"  
  
"Sure!" said the rabbit, and skipped away to pick up the computer and tracker.  
  
"You sure she won't hurt it?" said Eva, who had misgivings about letting her   
daughter handle electronics.  
  
"She has the chao," said Sally. "She won't hurt anything."  
  
"That's the trouble with chaos fields," said Eva as Cream ran back to them with   
Nicole. "They never do what you expect."  
  
"Here it is!" said Cream, depositing the computer and tracker in Sally's hands.  
  
"Thanks," said Sally, flipping on Nicole. "It works," she said as the screen lit   
up, and Sally checked for any messages from home. There were two, both from   
Knuckles. The first one was dated three days ago, and read, "Let me know when   
you start tracking an emerald, I need to know how much time I have to tweak the   
DR. Also, pick up Max on your way home. He's necessary for chaos healing."  
  
The second one was dated an hour ago, and it read, "Zephyer's going downhill   
fast, I have to derobotize her. Please tell me you've found an emerald."  
  
Going downhill fast.   
  
The words struck a pang of horror through Sally's heart. She had seen the signs   
of RTS growing in Zephyer for two months, but had told herself that she was   
mistaken. Going downhill fast. Knuckles must have been frantic. Sally looked at   
the chaos emerald in Sonic's hand and wondered how soon they could get home.   
  
She created a new message and typed, "Knuckles, we have the green chaos emerald,   
but the situation is a little complicated." She stared at this sentence and   
wondered if she should bother him with the details. Probably not. She went on,   
"We'll be home as soon as possible, probably by the end of the week." She signed   
and transmitted it, and sat staring at Nicole's screen.  
  
"All ready, Sal?" said Sonic, walking up. The harness was buckled on lopsided,   
but Sally ignored it.   
  
"Sonic," she said, "we need to get home. Knuckles sent me a message, he needs to   
derobotize Zephyer right away. She has RTS."  
  
Sonic blanched. "She does? Oh heck." He looked at the emerald in his hand. "Sal,   
this is no good without Max. I can't do chaos heal, and neither can Knux."  
  
"Chaos heal?" said Jazz, looking at them. "What's this, now?"  
  
"Got a friend who's dying," said Sonic. "We need to get home. Actually, I could   
go and Sally could come home afterward."  
  
Sally looked down. Sonic was faster, of course he should go. He always went by   
himself. Sally was just extra baggage.  
  
Sonic was still speaking. "I learned to chaos relocate with this thing, I should   
be able to jump right to the chao gardens, then right up to Knothole." He   
stepped away from the group, still wearing his harness, and squinted into the   
emerald. There was a long pause as they all watched him. Then Sonic said, "Chaos   
relocate!" There was a twinkle of light and he vanished.  
  
"So much for him," said Jazz, staring at the place where Sonic had been. "Come   
on Sally--it is Sally, isn't it?--we'll take you up to Windbay. It's only a   
couple of miles."  
  
Sally swallowed and hung Nicole and the tracker around her neck. Sonic was gone,   
and the world had lost its charm.  
  


* * *

  
  
The journey was instantaneous, but it was more than two thousand miles, and Sonic   
arrived in the middle of the chao gardens in a state of exhaustion. He collapsed   
to his hands and knees as the chao oohed and ahhed, and ran up to him.  
  
"You got in without a pass!" said a tiny bird chao. "We should tell on you."  
  
"No time," Sonic panted, wondering if he was going to pass out. The chao voices   
sounded metallic and distant, and there was a white haze in the corners of his   
vision. "Do you know where Max and Velocity and them are?"  
  
All the chao pointed to the rear wall. "Next door."  
  
"Thanks." Sonic dragged himself to his feet, and jogged to the wall. It was   
eight feet high, but Sonic's supersonic legs had jumped higher than that. He   
vaulted over it with a running jump, but as he went over it he put his hands   
down on broken glass on top of the wall, and landed in the far garden with a   
gash across his palm that matched Sally's. Since when did the Chao Company top   
their walls with broken glass? He yanked off his glove and sucked the wound,   
trying to stop the bleeding.  
  
Velocity appeared at Sonic's ankle with shining eyes. "Sonic!" he whispered.   
"You broke in! What happened to your hand?"  
  
"Broken glass," said Sonic, showing his chao the gruesome details.  
  
Velocity was impressed. "Oh yeah, they put that there to keep anyone from   
breaking in and stealing chao, like that one time. What are you doing here,   
anyway?"  
  
"I need to kidnap Max," Sonic whispered. "Zephyer's dying and Max can chaos   
heal." He held up the emerald.  
  
Velocity's eyes widened, and he nodded and raced off like a miniature Sonic.  
  
Sonic leaned against the wall, willing himself not to pass out. Chaos relocate   
had never done that to him before.  
  
Velocity returned with the other Knothole chao, who loved the idea that Sonic   
had broken in to kidnap Max. "If he's going home, is it really kidnapping?"   
asked Pilot.  
  
"Don't tell anyone what I did," said Sonic, picking up Max. "Try and cover for   
him as long as possible. I'll bring him back in a few days." He studied the   
emerald and said, "Chaos relocate!"  
  
Fifty, one hundred, one hundred fifty miles, and Sonic's strength gave out. The   
teleport dropped them in the southern reaches of the Great Forest. "Oh dang,"   
said Sonic as his feet hit the ground. He pitched to all fours and collapsed in   
a dead faint on top of Max and the chaos emerald.  
  
The water chao wriggled out from under the hedgehog and stood looking at him in   
alarm. "Sonic, wake up! We can't stop here! We're in the forest, and there might   
be predators!"  
  
Sonic didn't respond, even when Max shook him with his flippers. Max thought of   
using the chaos emerald himself, but couldn't lift Sonic enough to reach it.   
Worried and frightened, Max climbed up on Sonic's back on the saddle and sat   
there, partly to watch for danger, and partly to feel if Sonic was still   
breathing. Sonic was, so Max settled down to wait.  
  


* * *

  
  
Knuckles checked his computer messages and picked up Sally's reply. "The end of   
the week!" he muttered. "I can't wait that long, Zephyer has to be derobotized   
now." She would die if he didn't. But there was every chance she would die   
during derobotization; to date only two RTS victims had survived the process.  
  
He put his head in his hands for a few minutes and weighed his options. Zephyer   
might not live another two days. If the metal was off, she might have a fighting   
chance. He was pretty sure that the setup he and Tails had engineered would   
strip the metal without damaging Zephyer's body. There was also the chance that   
his judgment was skewed, because this was his girlfriend he was dealing with.   
He had her life in his hands, and it terrified him.  
  
Knuckles reached for his communicator and held it for a moment, knowing that   
once he pressed the button, his choice was made. He had nearly killed Talon   
through a hasty decision, and didn't want to make the same mistake. But he was   
gambling with Zephyer's life. No, he had to chance using the derobotizer now, or   
she would be too weak, even for chaos heal.  
  
He pressed the button and spoke to the Knothole switchboard operator. "Get me   
Doctor Shepherd, please."   
  
There was a click, then Shepherd's voice said, "Dr. Shepherd, how may I help   
you?"  
  
"This is Knuckles, up at Eagle's Nest," said Knuckles, the words coming slow and   
heavy. "I'm going to derobotize Zephyer."  
  
"You got the machine working, eh?" said the doctor. "Give me an hour, I'll bring   
everybody up there."  
  
"She has RTS."  
  
There was a brief pause. "Oh. I'll be there in half an hour."  
  
Knuckles turned off the communicator and sat looking at it. There was no turning   
back now.  
  
He got up and walked out of his hut, and stood looking across the treetops. At   
this moment he missed his island so badly that it was a physical ache. But ever   
since Zephyer had sneaked out there, he had sworn not to go back without her.  
  
He strode along the walkway to the derobotizer room and pushed open the door.   
Tails was screwing together the machine housing, and didn't look up. Zephyer was   
slumped in her chair with her feet on a box, dozing. Knuckles pulled up a roll   
of wire and sat beside her. "The doctor's on his way. Half an hour."  
  
She nodded. Her eyes were sunk in their sockets, and her jawbone jutted like a   
knife blade. His fear rose to new heights and formed a knot in his throat. He   
wanted to touch her, comfort her, but knew she would draw away. Well, so what?   
In half an hour she might be dead. He put his arms around her and kissed the top   
of her head, then laid his cheek against it. She sighed and clasped one of his   
hands, and did not pull away. He rocked her slightly, shocked at how light she   
had become.   
  
She was letting him hold her. She had surrendered--she didn't care anymore--and   
it scared him. "Zeff, you have to fight," he whispered. "We're so close. Hang in   
there, I'm with you all the way." She gave his hand a weak squeeze.  
  
He held her until the doctor arrived, then reluctantly released her and went to   
warm up the machinery.  
  
Dr. Shepherd was a collie who had come to Knothole when the robians were being   
derobotized and had all kinds of weird injuries, from broken bones to brain   
damage. After the robians were taken care of, Shepherd saw that Knothole lacked   
a proper doctor, and settled in to fill the niche. He had been in Knothole two   
years and had built up a respectable clientele, and was familiar with   
derobotization injuries. He had followed Zephyer's case since his arrival, and   
like everyone else in the village, he knew the story of Knuckles and Zephyer's   
rocky engagement.  
  
When he entered the room, he strode to Zephyer and helped her to her feet. "Mm,   
RTS all right," he said, peering into her eyes. "Not as bad as some, though.   
You've a good chance of recovery."  
  
"You think so?" said Zephyer, a little hope creeping into her face.  
  
"Yes," said Shepherd. "How's the machine, Knuckles? Tails?"  
  
"Good to go," said Tails, giving a thumbs up. "We had the frame collapsed for   
easier access, so I'm expanding it."  
  
"The scanning equipment works all right," said Knuckles, watching the three   
monitor screens that managed X-rays, bioscan and nanite control. He turned and   
looked at Zephyer. "Ready when you are."  
  
Without a word Zephyer stepped onto the stand, stood while Tails poured olive   
oil all over her metal, and waited as the plexiglass shield was lowered around   
her.  
  
Knuckles wished Sally were there to work the controls. "Tails," he said, "do you   
know how to do this?"  
  
"Duh," said the fox. "Are you really nervous?"  
  
"Just correct me if I do the wrong thing," said Knuckles. His hands were   
sweating through his gloves, and his fur stood up and lay down in waves. He   
started the preliminary scans. Everything was normal. He glanced at Zephyer, and   
saw her eyes were fixed on him. Dr. Shepherd and two nurses were standing beside   
the tube with a stretcher, ready for anything.  
  
Knuckles inhaled and selected the 'derobotizer activate' button on screen. In   
the tube, the unfiltered lens flicked on and began beaming instructions to the   
nanites. Knuckles turned to watch, his stomach curled in an anxious knot.  
  
When the derobotizer worked on a regular patient, it stripped the metal from the   
feet up, an inch at a time. With the biometal fragments, they broke into smaller   
pieces. But Zephyer's biometal was a prototype with a slightly different   
chemical makeup, and it didn't break up. It splintered.  
  
The metal exploded off her, ripping chunks out of her skin, coming off too fast,   
too fast, she would go into shock. But there was nothing Knuckles could do;   
stopping the program was more dangerous than letting it finish. The metal tore   
off at random all over her body, leaving bloody holes and cuts. Zephyer   
screamed, but the pain instantly exceeded her pain tolerance level, and she   
fainted as the derobotizer finished its ruthless work. "I've killed her," said   
Knuckles over and over, biting his knuclaws as he watched. "I've killed her,   
I've killed her."  
  
At last it was over, and the tube lifted. The doctor and nurses pounced on the   
limp echidna, wrapped her in towels that were instantly soaked with blood, threw   
her on the stretcher and whisked her next door for emergency treatment. Knuckles   
raced after them, only to have Shepherd slam the door in his face and yell,   
"I'll save her if I can!"  
  
Knuckles was tempted to break the door down, but decided against it and sat on   
the doorstep, straining his ears for any sound from inside the medical ward. For   
a while there was an anxious murmur of voices, which faded to silence with an   
occasional word spoken. They must be sewing her up. "I've killed her," Knuckles   
whispered again, cradling his head in his hands.  
  
When there was no sign of the doctor emerging, Knuckles got up and went back in   
the workshop. He thought he was saving Zephyer, and he had hurt her more. There   
was no way he could have known her metal was so lethal, but he kicked himself   
anyway. He had known her metal was a prototype--why hadn't he tested it to find   
out what it was made of? How could he have overlooked that one little fact?  
  
Tails had pulled out the box under the derobotizer where all the nanites   
gravitated, and was picking through them with a pencil when Knuckles entered. He   
looked up, and his eyes were glassy with tears. He blinked furiously and said,   
"Hi Knuckles. Um, you know, this metal--it's not like anything I've ever seen."  
  
Knuckles glanced in the box, saw the bloodstained metal, and turned away. "I   
don't want to look at it."  
  
"I cleaned off this piece, here." Tails handed it to Knuckles. The outside was   
smooth and polished, but the inside was covered in tiny gray spikes, like   
icicles.  
  
"What the heck?" said Knuckles.  
  
"It's all like that," said Tails. "Some of the spikes are two inches long. It's   
like it was feeding off her."  
  
Knuckles sucked in his breath. "You mean her biometal was ... parasitic?"  
  
"It was a prototype," said Tails soberly. "Who knows what it was doing?"  
  
Knuckles felt bile rising in his throat, and swallowed hard several times. No   
wonder the Robotization trauma had hit so fast and so hard. The metal was eating   
her alive. He flung the fragment back in the box and wiped off his hand as if he   
was touching something foul. "Wait until I tell her."  
  
"I don't think the wounds were that deep," said Tails. "It's just that she lost   
a lot of blood." He pointed at the reddened platform inside the machine.  
  
Knuckles turned white. "Right. I'm ... I'm going for a walk." He bolted from the   
room.  
  
Tails stood gazing at the parasitic biometal for a long moment. Then he, too,   
dashed from the room.  
  


* * *

  
  
Destro plodded along the footpath behind Jazz, Cream, Eva and Sally, weary and   
discouraged. The robot had escaped. "Was this what you wanted?" he thought to   
the Lightgiver. "That thing will cause havoc wherever it goes. I had a chance to   
stop it, and I failed. What do I do now?"  
  
The Lightgiver did not reply.  
  
Destro looked down at his armor, which had taken on a grayish tint to match his   
weariness. Maybe he should rephrase the question. "Should I go with them to   
Windbay?"  
  
The answer came at once. "Yes." The Lightgiver wanted specific questions that   
required specific answers.  
  
Cream dropped behind the others to join him. "Hi Destro! That robot was mean,   
but we beat him, didn't we?"  
  
"Yes." Cream again with her infernal questions. Why in the world had the   
Lightgiver put her in his path? But under his irritation was a faint pleasure   
that she had sought him out of her own accord--no other creature had ever tried   
to befriend him. His armor absorbed wisps of her chaos field, and his tiredness   
ebbed. "I didn't know your father was Jazz Jackrabbit," said Destro.  
  
"That's him!" said Cream, setting Monty on the ground. He bounced behind them on   
his short legs. "He says he's going to start taking me to the shooting range   
when we get home. That way if that robot comes back, I can help fight him. Won't   
that be great?"  
  
"Yes." There was a few seconds of silence, then Destro added, "Maybe you could   
learn to control your chaos field."  
  
"Can you do that?" said Cream in astonishment.  
  
"I do," said Destro.  
  
"You do? How?"  
  
Destro was silent a moment, then said, "It requires concentration."  
  
"I can concentrate!" said Cream, skipping for a few steps. "I'm a great   
concentrator! I drink concentrate orange juice every morning!"  
  
A ticklish feeling welled up in Destro's chest, and it took him a second to   
recognize it. Laughter. Cream was making him laugh! He had not laughed in years,   
although he did have a cynical laugh he used in battles. He kept a straight   
face. "You have to keep all the power inside you and only let it out when you   
need it."  
  
"Ooo, power," said Cream. "So I could hold a light bulb and turn it on if I   
wanted?"  
  
"No," said Destro. A smile attacked his face, but he beat it off. "You know how   
chaos feels when you're upset. If you concentrate it inside you--"  
  
"--I could put it in a can, like orange juice!" Cream exclaimed. "Then I could   
pour some out whenever I needed it, couldn't I?"  
  
The smile attacked harder this time, and Destro's face disobeyed him and smiled.   
"No, that's the wrong kind of concentrate."  
  
Cream skipped in circles and chanted, "Concentrated chaos, concentrated chaos!"   
Bits of dust flew around her feet, disturbed by her chaos field.  
  
Up ahead, Eva looked over her shoulder at her frolicking daughter and the   
armored fox. "Cream, why don't you come up here?"  
  
Cream skipped up to her. "I was talking to Destro. He said I can concentrate my   
chaos, just like orange juice!"  
  
"Oh really," said Eva, glancing at her husband.  
  
Jazz walked back to Destro, and Sally and Eva slowed until they caught up with   
them. Jazz was asking questions, and Destro's walls were up.  
  
"Can you control your chaos field?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Could you teach Cream to?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Too young."  
  
"Is it difficult?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What can you do with your field?"  
  
Destro didn't answer. Jazz gave Eva an exasperated look, and Eva shrugged.  
  
Sally had been watching Destro. She saw the mask was in place, and yet Cream   
kept going out of her way to be near him. Destro did not look like the kind of   
person a parent wanted their child to hang around, with his armor, battle scars   
and fierce expression. But how much of it was his mask? From what Sally had   
gathered, Destro had saved Cream from Robo Knux at great inconvenience to   
himself.  
  
Jazz quizzed Destro all the way to Windbay, and the fox's answers only became   
more cryptic. Sally watched the way Destro carried himself and the patient way   
he put up with Jazz's prodding. For a warrior, Destro had a long fuse. He was   
Freedom Fighter material. Sally had adopted many angry vigilantes over the years   
and knew the signs of one: the silence, the walls, and the fondness for   
fighting. But they were not her favorite of people.  
  
Sally had a limit--after so many days in the company of angry vigilantes, she   
became either crazy or depressed and had to retreat from public view for a   
while. This was when she turned to Sonic. Although Sonic had his bad days, he   
was usually open and optimistic, even in the face of overwhelming odds. Sally   
relied on him for moral support, and without him she would have lost her mind   
long ago. And here she was, staying with strangers and the type of person who   
drove her nuts, and Sonic was gone.  
  
Windbay was a little down built in tiers on the hills overlooking the ocean. It   
boasted a wide, natural bay full of fishing boats. A constant wind blew off the   
ocean, and the trees only grew leaves on one side.  
  
Jazz made a beeline for the doctor's office (he knew where every medical   
facility was located in Central Mobius), and led Sally inside. Half an hour   
later she emerged with her hands wrapped in neat white bandages, and the doctor   
followed her out. "No stitches needed," he said. "The ones on her palms were   
clean, but the back of her right hand took some patching. Come see me in   
twenty-four hours and we'll see how they're healing."  
  
"All right, thanks," said Jazz.  
  
"Oh good, all taken care of," said Eva, examining Sally's bandages with relief.   
"How about lunch?"  
  
Sally's hands stung from the antiseptic, but the reassuring pressure of the   
bandages helped detract from the pain, and she was able to think about other   
things. Like where Sonic had gone. If he could teleport the way he said, he   
should have come back by now. Maybe he had trouble in the chao garden, or maybe   
the derobotization had gone wrong.  
  
Sally slipped open Nicole's screen with the three fingers protruding from the   
bandage and checked for messages. Nothing.  
  
"What's the matter?" said Eva. "Are you expecting a letter?"  
  
"Sonic should have come back by now," said Sally. "He never delays doing   
anything."  
  
Eva patted her shoulder. "He's probably all right. He's just so busy he can't   
get back right away."  
  
"I'm also worried about our friend," said Sally. "I hope she's all right."  
  
They came to an outdoor restaurant and ordered sandwiches. Sally sat at a table   
and set up the chaos tracker. She would track down Sonic and see where he was.   
If he were in Eagle's Nest, she would know he was with Zephyer.  
  
>From the satellite, Sally targeted West Mobius and zoomed in. Sonic's blip and   
the emerald's blip were together, and were south of Knothole, in the woods.   
Sally zoomed in and watched the circle of light. It did not move. She watched it   
the whole time she was eating her sandwich, oblivious to the conversation around   
her. Sonic was sitting in one spot with the emerald. What was he doing? He   
wasn't hurt, or his field would send out random flashes.  
  
Sally wiped off her hands and typed a message to Knuckles. "Knux--Sonic   
chs-teleported to mnland with C.E., stoppd in sth great forest, smthing wrong.   
Is Zef OK? Sal."   
  
Typing with three fingers was a lot of work. She closed Nicole, turned off the   
tracker, and sat staring at the ocean, feeling cut off and alone.  
  


* * *

  
  
Every thirty minutes Knuckles returned to the door of the medical hut and   
listened to changes. When none were forthcoming, he jumped off the railing and   
glided around Eagle's Nest until he lost enough altitude to land. Then he   
climbed up the trunk of one of the giant trees with his knuclaws, arrived on the   
walkway, and checked for any word from the doctor.  
  
At two o'clock, three hours after the derobotizer incident, Dr. Shepherd opened   
the door to find Knuckles sitting on the doorstep with his chin in one hand.   
Knuckles jumped up. "Hey! How is she? Is she all right?"  
  
Shepherd shook his head. "It's bad, Knuckles. Come in." He stood aside, and   
Knuckles bounded inside.  
  
The odor of antiseptics hit him as he walked to the bed and looked at the figure   
crumpled on it. Zephyer was swathed in bandages, and blood still oozed from   
under some of them. An IV was fed into her left hand, and an oxygen mask was   
clamped over her nose and mouth. "Does she need that?" Knuckles asked, pointing   
at it.  
  
"Yes," said the doctor. "One of her lungs collapsed. She's bleeding internally,   
and she's lost a lot of blood. Frankly, I've never seen a derobotization like   
this."  
  
"No," said Knuckles hollowly. He was shocked at how different she looked without   
the metal--her head looked too big for her body, and her arms and legs were thin   
and frail. He took her right hand and found he could encircle her wrist with his   
thumb and forefinger. "What else?" he asked quietly.  
  
Shepherd looked at Zephyer and shook his head. "Lots, but let me put it this   
way. I give her three days."  
  
Knuckles could believe it. A voice in the back of his mind said, "You knew she   
wouldn't survive. You knew that somehow, something would go wrong. You should   
have waited." But the metal would have eaten her even more, and she might have   
died in the derobotizer.  
  
"Could I stay with her a while?" he asked. "She might wake up."  
  
"She's under some heavy painkillers, but okay," said Shepherd, pulling up a   
chair.  
  
Knuckles sat down and watched Zephyer breathe. He could hear the soft throb of   
the respirator, and remembered the time he had to use one before his lungs had   
shut down after inhaling terbium spores. He wondered if he had ever told Zephyer   
about it, then wondered if he'd ever get the chance.  
  
He held one of her little bandaged hands and wished he could pump some of his   
own vitality into her. Give her enough of his fight to make her, in turn, fight   
for her life. She had stopped wanting to live before the metal came off. Now she   
faced horrid amounts of pain, and lacked the willpower to see it through.  
  
Knuckles stroked her hair and talked to her, telling her he was there and would   
stick by her, that she had everything to live for, and that he loved her. The   
derobotizer had worked, and she still had a chance. Please, please, wouldn't she   
try to live?  
  
The churning emotions inside him were driving him toward tears--love for her,   
fear for her, and an overpowering homesickness for his island. He wondered if   
she felt the same homesickness, and if so, maybe he could remind her of it.   
  
Knuckles had been sitting there a long time when her eyes opened. They gazed at   
each other, Zephyer's eyes glazed with painkillers. She squeezed his hand, and   
he squeezed back, smiling.   
  
"Hi," she murmured under the oxygen mask.  
  
"Hi," he whispered back. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Bad," she whispered.  
  
"You're going to be all right," Knuckles told her.  
  
She closed her eyes a moment. "I'm not ... afraid ... to die."  
  
He swallowed. "Who said anything about dying?"  
  
Her eyes narrowed with a faint shadow of her former self. "I can ... read you   
... like a book ... Knuckles Echidna."  
  
He frowned. "You're not going to die, because if you do, I'll kill you."  
  
She smiled and clasped his hand. "You would. Is there ... a plan B?"  
  
"Yes," said Knuckles. "Two days from now."  
  
"I can ... last that long," she murmured. She began to drift to sleep again, and   
Knuckles sat with her, feeling the feeble pulse in her wrist. Two days seemed   
like a long time, but at least she was in good spirits.  
  
He sat with her all afternoon, talking to her when she awoke and playing with   
her hair when she was asleep. The doctor shooed him out at six, and Knuckles   
stretched his stiff muscles and went for a walk.  
  
He wound up in the workshop with the computer to check his messages. Tails was   
busily rebuilding the derobotizer with its original configuration. The box of   
biometal scraps was nowhere in sight, and Knuckles was thankful.  
  
"How is she?" asked Tails.  
  
"She wakes up now and then," said Knuckles, typing a few commands. "She's in bad   
shape."  
  
"I hope she makes it."  
  
"Me too."   
  
Sally's cryptic message about Sonic came up, and Knuckles read it four times,   
feeling the urge to leap up and cheer. If Sonic was in the Great Forest, maybe   
Knuckles could find him before Zephyer had slipped any further. He dashed off a   
reply to Sally and said, "Tails, leave the machine for a bit. Sonic overreached   
himself and teleported into the woods south of here."  
  
"All the way from Central Mobius?" said Tails in disbelief. "You can really   
teleport that far?"  
  
"Sonic tried it and burned out," said Knuckles. "Go get your short-range emerald   
tracker, we'll need it to find him."  
  


* * *

  
  
Max the chao paced around the fallen Sonic as the minutes stretched into hours,   
and the shadows under the trees began to lengthen. "Oh Sonic, why won't you wake   
up?" he begged. It was chilly under the trees, and although birds chirped in the   
canopy, it was silent on the forest floor.  
  
Sonic's breathing was slow and heavy, as if he was in a deep sleep. His left   
hand, cut by glass, had bled through his glove and dried, and Max hated to think   
of what would happen when Sonic pulled his glove off. Sonic's other hand was   
tucked under him, clutching the chaos emerald. Max tried over and over to lift   
Sonic enough to reach it, but he wasn't strong enough.  
  
As evening approached, the chill began to penetrate Max's chubby body, and he   
snuggled up to Sonic for warmth. He listened to the hedgehog's rhythmic   
breathing and hoped he wouldn't sleep all night.  
  
Sonic's breathing sped up and became shallow, and Max lifted his head. Either   
Sonic was dreaming, or he was waking up. He crawled up to peer into Sonic's   
face. Sonic groaned, prying his eyes open. "Ugh," he said, lifting his head.   
"Dang, my arm's asleep." He sat up and his arm flopped at his side, dropping the   
chaos emerald. Max pounced on it and held it lovingly in his flippers.  
  
"Hi Max," said Sonic, massaging his dead arm, then squinting at his bloodied   
glove. "Man, what happened to me?"  
  
"We did a chaos teleport, but we didn't go far enough," said Max. "You sort of   
fainted on top of me."  
  
"Sorry about that," said Sonic, rubbing his chest where he had been lying on the   
emerald. "I feel like one of those dried fly husks in a spider web."  
  
"Could you teleport us to Knothole?"  
  
"Max, I don't have enough energy to stand up," said Sonic. "If you use that   
emerald to turn into your large form, maybe you could carry me."  
  
Max eyed him. "I'm an amphibian. I could carry you in the water, but not on   
land."  
  
Sonic groaned and pulled himself to his feet. "I guess I can walk."  
  
"Let me help you," said Max, biting the emerald. The emerald's power flowed into   
him, and he swelled to a four-foot tall creature with a sea turtle head, a wide,   
flat body, and powerful frog-like hind legs. The emerald embedded itself in the   
roof of his mouth, and his mouth glowed green when he spoke. "Lean on me,   
Sonic."  
  
Sonic braced a hand on Max's back, and walked into the woods with the giant chao   
hopping beside him.  
  


* * *

  
  
On Central Mobius the sun was two hours from setting, and the Jackrabbits had   
located a hotel to stay in for the night. It overlooked the beach, and the   
Jackrabbits decided to take a walk and let Cream and Monty play in the water.   
Sally stayed in the hotel room. She felt as if she had encroached on their   
hospitality long enough, and besides, she was tired.  
  
Destro had taken the room next door, although it was clear he would rather be   
elsewhere. He seemed determined to stay with them, however, and Sally wondered   
at him. One thing she had learned about his type, however, was that one did not   
question them.  
  
She opened the sliding door and stepped onto the room's balcony. She was on the   
second floor, and looked out across a wide lawn studded with trees. Sally sat   
for a while, absorbing the quiet. Undemanding solitude was something she had   
lacked in recent months, and it was like balm to her soul.  
  
She heard the shower turn on in Destro's room, and smiled. He may not like other   
people, but there was nothing wrong with enjoying a few luxuries, like hot   
water. Suddenly she missed Knothole, and Tails, and Sonic. Especially Sonic. She   
got up, fetched Nicole and the tracker, and turned them on.  
  
A message from Knuckles awaited her. "Sounds like Sonic tried to use more power   
than was good for him. I'll bet he fainted in mid-teleport and didn't make it   
here. I'm going out to find him with Tails. Zephyer's bad off. De-ro. worked,   
but it hurt her bad. Details later.--K."  
  
Fainted in mid-teleport? It sounded dangerous to Sally, but Knuckles didn't   
sound worried. And Zephyer was bad off ... she hoped Knuckles could find Sonic.   
She tuned the tracker for home, located Sonic, and zoomed in. Thank goodness, he   
was moving at last. She pulled out to scan for Knuckles. Knuckles was harder to   
locate because his signature was more controlled, but Sally spotted him moving   
south from the vicinity of Eagle's Nest. If she watched, she would see when   
Knuckles found Sonic, and maybe even when they used the emerald on Zephyer. It   
made her feel close to them to see them, and yet more homesick than ever.  
  
Sally watched their movements for a while, then panned out to refresh her view.   
Then she froze, heart leaping into her mouth.  
  
A chaos-object like a hurricane was moving across the ocean toward West Mobius   
with incredible speed. Headed toward Knothole. But she had taken his emerald!   
Where had he found another one? Sally reached for Nicole, typed a futile   
warning, and sent it. Knuckles and Sonic were far from any computers, and Sally   
was an observer only. She clenched her fists. Not this time.  
  
Sally estimated Robo Knux's arrival time at twenty minutes, set aside the   
tracker, and peered toward the ocean, thinking of Jazz and his family, but they   
were nowhere in sight. She went out in the hall and knocked on Destro's door.  
  
The shower had stopped some time ago, and now the door opened and Destro looked   
out at her. His helmet was off, and for a second Sally was struck by how   
nice-looking he was. Then he clamped it on his head and said, "What do you   
want?"  
  
"Come here, quick," said Sally, leading him into her room. She handed him the   
tracker and pointed to the hurricane. "Robo Knux has grown stronger, and he's   
headed for my village on West Mobius. That's Sonic right there."  
  
Destro frowned as he studied the images. "Can you warn them?"  
  
"They don't have their computers or anything, and communicators don't have a   
range that long." Sally couldn't keep the panic out of her voice. "He's going to   
ambush them. What can we do?"  
  
Destro held up a hand. "I'll ask." He closed his eyes for a moment, and Sally   
watched him pray. That was something she hadn't expected. He sat quietly for a   
few minutes, then opened his eyes. "We need to find Cream, Jazz and Eva." He   
bolted from the room, and Sally followed.  
  
They collided with the Jackrabbits on the terrace, where they were trooping back   
to the hotel. Sally explained things in a hushed voice, and the three rabbits   
and chao listened attentively.  
  
"I should have planted a mine on that robot's head," growled Jazz. "The only way   
to warn Sonic is to beat Robo Knux there, and a teleport would just about kill   
one of us. Even if we could teleport."  
  
"It takes enormous power," said Destro.  
  
Everyone looked at him.  
  
"You asked what I could do with my chaos field," said Destro to Jazz. "The   
answer is, many things. But I need your permission to charge my armor off your   
daughter's aura."  
  
Jazz and Eva exchanged glances. "What do you have to do?"  
  
"Touch her hand," said Destro. "Until I have absorbed as much power as my armor   
can hold."  
  
Jazz thought for two seconds. "Do it."  
  
Destro held out a hand to Cream. She fearlessly placed her little hand in his   
metal-link glove, and looked at him. Of the group, only Monty the chao could see   
what was happening. Chaos radiated from Cream like smoke from a fire, and was   
vacuumed up by Destro's armor. Chaos rippled over Destro's body as he compressed   
it inside himself, directing it into his armor's reserves. Minutes passed, and   
Destro began to sweat with the effort of containing the extra power.   
  
"Is it working?" said Cream, who could feel nothing.  
  
"Yes, and how," said Monty, watching in fascination. "He can't hold much more."  
  
Destro released Cream's hand and backed away, trembling with the effort of   
holding the power. He moved to a safe distance, then closed his eyes. There was   
a flash of light, and a clap as air rushed to fill the place where he had been.  
  
Sally ran to her room, followed by the Jackrabbits, and grabbed the tracker. A   
new blip had appeared on the map, between Sonic and Knuckles. As they watched,   
Destro's blip moved toward Robo Knux's oncoming storm.  
  
"They're going to fight!" exclaimed Sally.  
  


* * *

  
  
The teleport sucked the stored power from Destro, and he appeared in the Great   
Forest panting for breath, the energy level in his armor bouncing from extremely   
high to extremely low. He stood a minute until he knew how much damage he had   
done. He had burned all the energy had gathered from Cream, but his reserve   
batteries were oozing with overcharge. He was in good shape, thanks to Cream.  
  
He ignited his jetpack and shot up through the trees, dodging branches until he   
could peer into the west. Here the sun had set, and the horizon was a band of   
red and orange. Far out over the ocean, a patch of sky was rippling as if in a   
heat wave. There was the robot. Destro considered his options. He could fly out   
to meet Robo Knux, burning energy, and clash over the ocean. If he lost too much   
power, he would drop into the water. Or he could wait for the robot to reach   
land and battle here, endangering lives, but with full energy reserves.  
  
Destro decided to fly to the shore and wait there. He was uncertain of   
Knothole's location, and wanted to have the most distance possible between   
himself and it. He rocketed west, over the trees, conscious that the Lightgiver   
had guided him to this point, for this purpose. All the times Destro had had the   
chance to attack the robot and the Lightgiver had held him back ... something   
good had come out of each time. Cream had come into Destro's life. Sonic had   
seen and pursued the robot. Sonic and Jazz had joined forces. And all of this   
would not have happened if Destro had not been in the right place at the right   
time.  
  
This was also the right place at the right time. Destro felt the Lightgiver   
beside him, flying on point and leading him into the approaching chaos storm.   
Destro bared his teeth in a ferocious grin.   
  
Bring it on.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Whoa!" Tails yelled as something roared overhead. He and Knuckles peered up   
through the trees, but could only see a fading smoke trail.  
  
"What was that?" said Knuckles.  
  
"That was a jetpack," said Tails, ears pricked as he listened to the diminishing   
roar. "A human-made 3800, four-cylinder, solid-state fuel."  
  
"Who around here has a jetpack?" said Knuckles.  
  
"Nobody I know," said Tails. He looked at his short-range tracker's screen. "No   
signal from Sonic yet. Let's hurry up and find him."  
  


* * *

  
  
Sonic heard the jetpack, too, and he and Max peered at the treetops. "What in   
the world?" said Sonic. "That sounded just like Destro's jetpack!"  
  
"Who's Destro?" asked Max.  
  
"This guy I met," said Sonic. "But there's no way he could have got here so   
fast--it's a two day flight."  
  
He and Max walked on, throwing glances at the evening sky. Sonic's strength was   
trickling back, but he still wanted to lie down and sleep. In the gathering   
darkness he stumbled over roots and stones, and only Max's shoulder saved him   
from a fall.  
  
A silent blast of chaos energy struck the Great Forest, rattling leaves, shaking   
dust from the bark, and knocking Sonic flat. Max fell onto all fours. "Good   
grief, what was that?"  
  
"That was chaos energy!" said Sonic, clawing to his feet. "Robo Knux! He must be   
here somewhere! But you've got his emerald, how...?" Sonic paused, wheels   
turning. He looked at Max. "Oh no. I'll bet they reverse-engineered the ARK   
technology. We've got to get home, quick!"  
  


* * *

  
  
Robo Knux was the eye of a mile-wide chaos distortion like a vast, swirling   
hurricane. The air inside the field broke down into separate gases, and as   
Destro flew into the field he found himself breathing nitrogen. His jetpack died   
and he dropped into a patch of pure oxygen. His jetpack roared and spurted blue   
flames, rocketing Destro into ordinary atmosphere as heat levels jumped into the   
red.   
  
There were places where the world was black as ink, and other places where it   
was so bright he couldn't open his eyes. Below him the shockwave rolled on   
toward the Great Forest, and every Mobian in its path felt the disturbance and   
panicked.  
  
Destro drew his sword and flew with it held before him like a spear. Electricity   
played along the steel blade and rippled over his gloves and armor. His fur   
crackled with static. He had to be nearing the robot, he was in the center of   
the chaos storm--  
  
Diamond-tipped claws slashed through his helmet, tearing off the left side of   
the face guard. Destro spun around and slashed, but Robo Knux dodged away and   
circled, his eyes leaving blue streaks against a sudden onset of darkness.   
Destro felt blood trickling down the side of his head, but he didn't care. He   
flew at his enemy, who blocked the blow with claws crossed. Sparks showered into   
the dark, changing colors as they fell. The battle had begun.  
  


* * *

  
  
Knuckles and Tails were hit by the shockwave, and Knuckles helped Tails to his   
feet. "That was chaos energy," said Knuckles, his eyes wild. "I've never felt   
anything like that in my life!"  
  
"Is it a flux?" Tails asked, his fur standing on end.  
  
"I don't know what it is. What's the tracker say?"  
  
"It's gone dead. You sure it was chaos and not a magnetic pulse?"  
  
"It was chaos," said Knuckles. "I guess we do this the old-fashioned way." He   
cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Hey Sonic!"  
  
Tails joined in. "Son-ic!"  
  
"Hey!" came a distant shout, and the pair hurried toward it, groping in the   
darkness under the trees. Knuckles called again, and Sonic replied, and a few   
minutes later they found each other. "What's going on?" asked Knuckles. "Did you   
feel the chaos wave?"  
  
"That's Robo Knux," said Sonic. "He had this emerald--" He slapped Max on the   
back "--and made a field distortion with it. We got the emerald, but he still   
has the distortion."  
  
"That shouldn't happen," said Knuckles, horrified. "He's just a robot!"  
  
"He might have a chaos drive in him, or something like that," said Sonic. "You   
know Robotnik stripped the ARK of all the technology he didn't have. And there's   
a guy with a jetpack, that's Destro, he's on our side."  
  
"Destro?" said Tails. "Destro the fox? That Destro?"  
  
"Yeah," said Sonic, but Knuckles interrupted, "We can explain later. I've got to   
get Max and the emerald back to Eagle's Nest. Zephyer doesn't have much time."  
  
The four set off at a near run, dodging trees and tripping over unseen things.   
"What do you mean, she doesn't have much time?" said Sonic.  
  
"We derobotized her," said Knuckles, "and the biometal..."  
  
"It was eating her alive," Tails finished. "When it came off, it tore her full   
of holes."  
  
Sonic winced. "Poor Zeff!"  
  
A series of flashes illuminated the horizon. Knuckles looked toward it. "This is   
impossible," he muttered. "Robo Knux has control of the chaos field."  
  
"I'd help if I could," said Sonic, "but I'm wiped out. And I tried to fight him   
as Hyper and it ... didn't work."  
  
"I have to stay with Zephyer," said Knuckles.  
  
Tails said nothing.  
  
Sonic found the fox's hand in the darkness and shoved a crumpled wad into it.   
"Plan B," Sonic whispered. Tails tried to hand it back, but Sonic had withdrawn.   
Tails unfolded it, identifying it by touch.  
  
It was Sonic's emerald belt.  
  


* * *

  
  
The eye of the chaos storm swirled around Robo Knux like a pillar of red and   
violet lightning, moving where he moved. Destro dove into it, sword raised, and   
felt his armor absorb power like a sponge. He slashed at the robot, who parried   
the blow with his claws, then twisted and nearly yanked the blade from Destro's   
hands. Destro broke out of the storm center and circled around through light and   
darkness, as stars appeared and vanished in all directions, as if the fabric of   
time and space was tearing.  
  
A beam of energy struck him and sent him reeling, his jetpack smoking. Robo Knux   
was there, his eyes dancing with madness. Destro scrambled in midair, willing   
his jet to ignite and carry him clear, but his jet refused to respond. As he   
fell Robo Knux flew after him, claws extended, and Destro slashed at him. The   
force of his swing sent him into a wild spin, and he felt the deadly claws   
connect with his armored torso. Hot pain spread down his side.  
  
His jet ignited! Destro righted himself and flew straight up at the   
still-descending robot, and his blade struck the body. There was a ringing snap,   
and Destro dropped his broken sword, hands numbed from the shock. Robo Knux   
laughed, the sound echoing through the silent storm. "You're dead, fox."  
  


* * *

  
  
Eagle's Nest in the darkness looked like a floating city, with lights beginning   
suddenly thirty feet from the ground. Sonic had never been so glad to see it. He   
stood aside and waited as Knuckles made Max take the emerald out of his mouth   
and shrink to small form, then climb the ladder like a monkey.   
  
Sonic turned to Tails. "If Robo Knux gets this far, you're our last defense."  
  
Tails looked at the emerald belt. "He's really strong, Sonic. You said it didn't   
work when you fought him as Hyper, so why should I be any different?"  
  
Sonic said quietly, "Remember who you beat in a fight the last time you used the   
super emeralds?"  
  
"Knuckles ... and you," said Tails, and stared at the belt.  
  
"Right," said Sonic. "You're a match for a dumb robot. Now I need to go to bed."   
He started up the ladder and said over his shoulder, "You know I'm tired when I   
have to leave an awesome fight to you."  
  
Tails gazed at the belt again, weighed down by the enormity of what Sonic had   
asked him to do. Sonic had placed the safety of Knothole and New Mobitropolis in   
his hands. Tails thought of the times he had battled Robotnik's machines, and   
Robotnik himself, and won. Robo Knux was nothing compared to that.  
  
He buckled on the belt.  
  


* * *

  
  
Destro flew in a spiral, flying higher and higher in the storm. Robo Knux   
pursued him, the center of the storm, radiating chaotic power and insanity in   
brilliant shades of red and purple. Destro was hurting. His head and chest were   
bleeding from claw scratches, and the halves of his sword were lost in the   
darkness far below. But he still had the chaos inside of himself, which he could   
fight with if he had to. He was worried that using it, however, would make the   
robot stronger.  
  
"Think!" he told himself as he flew. "You've got to outsmart him! What's his   
weakness?" Robo Knux's weakness was the machinery that composed his body.   
Somehow he had found a way to keep the chaos energy from cooking him like a   
potato in a microwave. Perhaps he was using a converter of some kind. In which   
case, if Destro could damage it, Robo Knux's power buildup would fry his   
circuits.  
  
Destro switched off his jet and dropped, steel boots first onto Robo Knux's   
upturned face. The impact sent Robo Knux and Destro flying apart, and Destro   
caught himself with his jet and spun to see if he had done any damage. The robot   
was still pursuing. His eyes were green now, and wavering like water. Destro   
gazed at his eyes a second too long and dodged too late, and Robo Knux slammed   
into him claws first. Destro clung to the robot's arms, fired his jet and   
pitched the two of them into a wild, mid-air spin. Robo Knux's hover jets were   
cancelled out, and they began to fall.  
  


* * *

  
  
Knuckles stepped into the medical hut and walked to Zephyer's bed. The doctor   
was sitting on a stool beside her bed, and looked up as Knuckles entered. "Did   
you get it?"  
  
"Yes," said Knuckles breathlessly, setting Max on the bed and handing him the   
emerald. "The chao is the only one who can work the healing power."  
  
Max crawled up beside Zephyer's head and examined her face. She was asleep, and   
her face had taken on a grayish hue. After a few minutes he announced, "She's   
very, very sick."  
  
"Can you help her?" asked Knuckles.  
  
Max looked at her. "Yeeess ... but it won't be easy. Velocity was hurt bad, but   
he had more life in him than she does."  
  
Knuckles closed his eyes a minute. "Do you mean you'll have to give her some of   
yours?"  
  
"That's how I did it for another chao," said Max. "She's an echidna. It might   
not work the same."  
  
"Could you use me?" said Knuckles.   
  
"Let me see," said Max. He bit the emerald and slid off the bed as he grew to   
his large form, and placed a broad flipper on her forehead. The emerald in his   
mouth glowed a bright, steady green for a few seconds.  
  
"This will take some work," said Max, looking at Knuckles. "Hold my other   
flipper, I'll see if I can borrow from you to help her."   
  
Knuckles grasped the chao's wide, warm flipper and watched Zephyer for any   
change. Max fixed his eyes on her and drew on the emerald's power, sorting   
through its abilities until he settled on one of the few Order powers left to   
the emeralds--healing. He collected strength from Knuckles, pushing the power   
from one echidna, through himself, and into the other. In the back of his mind   
he wished Talon was there, but he reassured himself that by healing Zephyer, he   
was making Talon happy.  
  
Knuckles felt weariness creep through him, but he kept his eyes on Zephyer. He   
imagined her wounds sealing from the inside, and wondered if he could actually   
see color creeping into her face. As the minutes ticked by the sense of   
weariness increased until Knuckles felt as if he had run a marathon. Still Max   
stayed focused and the emerald illuminated his half-open mouth with neon green   
light. In the distance, Knuckles heard a rumble of thunder. Then he realized it   
was not thunder as another surge of chaos washed over him. He wavered, but   
stayed standing.  
  
Tails ran by outside, his feet pounding on the wooden catwalk. Knuckles noted it   
with the back of his mind. Dr. Shepherd was watching the healing, and Knuckles   
didn't want to faint in front of him.  
  
As his strength was funneled away, Knuckles began to wonder in a loopy sort of   
way if Zephyer could pick up his thoughts and emotions along with his energy. He   
called up his consuming homesickness for his island. He thought about his love   
for her, and his fury at her for giving up, all mixed up until he wanted to cry,   
which Knuckles seldom ever did. Zephyer had made him feel these things, and she   
was his greatest strength and greatest weakness. He needed her. He held these   
things in his mind, mentally forcing them at the still figure on the bed,   
willing her to feel what he was feeling as long as it made her well, as long as   
she got well, as long as she got well, as long as...  
  
Zephyer's eyes opened just as Knuckles collapsed.  
  


* * *

  
  
Tails stood on the highest walkway in Eagle's Nest and peered into the   
approaching chaos distortion. It was rolling in like a thunderstorm, but lit   
with weird patches of light that swirled, vanished and reappeared like images in   
a nightmare. Once in a while a flash illuminated the core of the storm, like a   
tall funnel that arched and moved as Robo Knux flew around. It was nearing the   
outskirts of New Mobitropolis, and in the deepening darkness, imagination ran   
wild with what the rest of the storm looked like.  
  
Tails looked down at Sonic's belt and touched the smooth faces of the super   
emerald miniatures. When he had used them last time, four flicky birds appeared   
from their home dimension to share his power and help him fight. But they had   
sacrificed themselves to save him, and he had sworn to never touch the emeralds   
again. He looked up at the chaos distortion. Sonic was depending on him. The   
last time Sonic had depended on him, Tails had let him down, and Tails was   
afraid to try again. But there was no one else who could use the super emeralds.   
Sonic was exhausted and Knuckles was with Zephyer.  
  
Zephyer. For a second Tails thought of her horrendous derobotization, and of the   
way she looked hurt and bandaged. What if Robo Knux found her? The thought sent   
chills down his spine. Tails would have to defend everyone himself, because   
there was no one else.  
  
He fumbled with the emeralds for a moment, trying to remember how Sonic   
activated them. It was kind of like striking a match, because there was friction   
involved ... Tails's hands slipped over the belt and the emeralds flashed to   
life. His orange fur became molten gold, and he felt as light as a feather. He   
stood poised on the walkway for an instant, then leaped into space and flew   
toward the storm, powered by chaos and horribly afraid of what would happen   
next.  
  


* * *

  
  
Destro and Robo Knux hit the ground, and Destro lay stunned, still clinging to   
the robot. The diamond-tipped claws had pierced his stomach and right shoulder,   
but Robo Knux radiated such power that Destro's armor healed his body even as   
the claws were withdrawn.   
  
Robo Knux snarled. "What must I do to kill you, fox?" He stabbed Destro over   
and over, but the wounds healed instantly. Destro reached up and grabbed Robo   
Knux by the hole in his chest, and threw him over backward.  
  
"I know what you're doing," spat the robot. "You know my weakness. And I know   
yours. Your armor." He leaped to his feet and tried to tear off Destro's   
breastplate.  
  
"No!" Destro growled, and released chaos energy in the form of an electric surge   
that knocked the robot head over heels. Destro ran after him, knowing that his   
only chance was to stay close to Robo Knux, so there would be enough chaos in   
the vicinity for his armor to repair the holes in itself.  
  
But Robo Knux was crafty. He lay on the ground, feigning unconsciousness until   
Destro was within striking distance, then sprang up and slashed the helmet free   
of Destro's head. He flung it skyward and planted three laser blasts in it as it   
fell, then laughed at Destro's expression of horror. Without his helmet,   
Destro's jetpack controls were gone.  
  
"Not so cocky now, are we?" sneered Robo Knux. "I can use chaos just like you,   
and I have more weapons than a puny sword."  
  
"But I have backup," said Destro.  
  
"Where?" said Robo Knux. "Who in the world would come help an outcast freak like   
you?"  
  
Destro pointed, and Robo Knux half-turned just as Super Tails struck him in a   
midair spin, his tails whirling like helicopter blades.  
  
"I'm Tails," said Tails to Destro as Robo Knux picked himself up. The young   
fox's teeth were chattering in excitement and terror. "What do we do?"  
  
"He has a chaos converter of some kind," said Destro. "We must disable it."  
  
"I have an idea," whispered Tails. "Find a big rock." He leaped into the air and   
flew in wide circles. "Hey Robo Knux! Sonic sent me because he had better things   
to do than fight a dumb robot!"  
  
Robo Knux sprang after him, hover jets roaring.  
  
Destro watched from the ground, where he had located a rock with a sharp edge.   
He didn't dare use his jetpack now, but was thankful for the rest. His remaining   
armor had time to repair and recharge itself, and he had time for a word with   
the Lightgiver. "Thank you for giving me victory thus far. I've felt your   
protection throughout the battle. But what do I do now?"  
  
"Wait for Tails," came the Lightgiver's quiet voice. "He knows what he's   
doing."  
  
Destro watched the dark robot and the glowing fox circle and dance high above   
him, and found himself worried about this newcomer. What was the matter with   
him? He had never worried about anyone before--Cream had taught him how to care   
about other people. He puzzled over this while the chaos distortion destroyed   
the atmosphere inside it and scorched the grass and rock beneath it. Beside   
Destro stood the Lightgiver with sword drawn, and around him the chaos field was   
stilled. Destro was in a little oasis of peace.  
  
Up in the air, Super Tails was throwing every taunt at his enemy that he could   
think of. Some of them he made note of to tell Sonic later, like, "Your mother   
was a 386 PC and your father was a shovel!" He was trying to infuriate the   
robot, and was succeeding. Robo Knux began firing lasers and rockets at him, and   
Tails dodged or deflected all of them, the super emeralds protecting him from   
all harm.  
  
"Come on, use your chaos gun on me!" Tails shouted. "I know you have one or you   
wouldn't have charge up like this! What's the matter? Chicken?"  
  
"That was a fowl insult," snarled the robot. "I'm not wasting my death ray on   
the likes of you."  
  
"Death ray?" said Tails, doing a flip. "Don't make me laugh! Besides, even a   
death ray couldn't hurt me." He dove earthward, and Robo Knux, maddened beyond   
reason, followed him.  
  
Tails and Robo Knux landed near Destro at the same time. "Let's fight on the   
ground, like civilized people," said Tails. "Go ahead, take your best shot!" He   
held up his arms to make himself a better target.  
  
Robo Knux couldn't resist. His entire torso opened up to reveal his hot yellow   
fusion core and a baseball-sized lens. Embedded in the wires and machinery under   
the lens was a fiery green chaos drive.  
  
As the lens powered up, Tails pointed and yelled, "Smash the chaos drive!"  
  
Destro ran up, ducked under the lens and crushed the fragile glass tube with the   
rock in his fist.  
  
Robo Knux screamed. Destro scrambled away on all fours, and Tails threw himself   
flat. The death ray backfired, and the robot caught fire from the inside. As if   
that weren't enough, the entire chaos storm poured down out of the sky, through   
Robo Knux, and into the earth like grounded lightning. It looked like a mass of   
smoke and chaotic colors and images, and Robo Knux sparked and smoked, finally   
collapsing. Still the storm came down on his head, and the ground became hot   
underfoot.  
  
Suddenly it was over. The night was silent, the stars were clear and bright, and   
Robo Knux was offline and flaming in the center of a blackened ring. Tails and   
Destro stood staring at their fallen enemy for a long time. Then Destro turned   
to Tails and held out his hand. "Thanks."  
  
Tails shook his hand, smiling. "Thank you, sir. For letting me fight along with   
you. It was an honor."  
  
"An honor?" Destro looked blank. "Why an honor?"  
  
"You're famous in the robotics community," said Tails, looking down. "Your armor   
and weapons are thirty years ahead of their time, and everyone knows how you go   
around fighting for the underdog. I've always wanted to meet you."  
  
Destro didn't know what to say. He stammered, "It--it wasn't me, it was the   
Lightgiver. He sent me here." He turned away and mumbled something about finding   
his helmet.  
  
"I'll help!" said Tails. "I'm glowing, and I'm the only light we have."  
  
The foxes searched the scorched area where the chaos distortion had been, and   
located Destro's helmet, burned and full of holes. Destro clamped it on his head   
anyway, and it immediately began to repair itself. "I need to go," he said to   
Tails. "I have another mission."  
  
"Oh, sure," said Tails awkwardly. "Um, see you around."  
  
Destro ignited his jetpack and flew away into the night, and Super Tails watched   
him go. Then he spun his two tails and flew back toward the forest, planning to   
wake up Sonic and tell him everything.  
  
  


This story archived at: The Domain of NetRaptor

  



	4. Chapter 4: The Silver Lining

**25. Silver Lining: Part 4: The Silver Lining**

  


by NetRaptor1

  
Silver Lining  
  
By K. M. Hollar  
  
__________________________  
Every cloud has a silver lining.  
__________________________  
Part 4: The Silver Lining  
__________________________  
  
  
Knuckles came to late that night, and found himself lying in bed in his Eagle's   
Nest quarters. He was so tired he felt like he had been sick, and lay there for   
a moment, trying to remember why he felt like this. Suddenly he remembered Sonic   
and Max and the chaos emerald and--  
  
"Zephyer!"  
  
He sprang out of bed and caught himself before he fell over. How much had Max   
drained him, anyway? He must have fainted, and the stupid chao continued   
draining off energy. Knuckles was lucky to be alive. But even as he told himself   
this, he knew that Zephyer must be well--she had to be well--if he felt this   
bad. He fumbled on his shoes and left the room, walking slowly.  
  
Eagle's Nest was dark and still. Knuckles remembered the chaos distortion and   
wondered what had become of it, and reminded himself to ask Sonic and Tails in   
the morning. It must be near midnight. He should have stayed in bed, but he had   
to see Zephyer.   
  
A dim light was burning in the medical hut, and Knuckles wondered if the doctor   
was inside. He could hear voices. He opened the door very slowly and peered in.  
  
Zephyer was propped up on pillows with a lamp burning beside her, reading aloud   
from a book. Max was cuddled up to her on one side, and Zephyer's chao Zinc was   
on her other side. Both chao sat up as Knuckles looked in.  
  
"Well!" said Zephyer, setting down the book. "I didn't expect to see you for   
another two days!"  
  
Knuckles sank into the chair beside her bed, utterly spent. "I guess it worked,   
then."  
  
"Yes," said Zephyer. "All but the worst of the wounds are gone. Shepherd wants   
to keep me under observation for another week, he says I'm still not well. I   
made him send for Zinc to keep Max company."  
  
"Nice of him," said Knuckles, gazing at Zephyer and not caring what she said, as   
long as she said it like her old self.  
  
She returned his gaze and said quietly, "Thank you for doing that."  
  
"No problem," said Knuckles. "How is it being derobotized finally?"  
  
Zephyer held up one hand and examined it. "You see this hand? I never expected   
to see it again. And I can FEEL! You have no idea what it's like being without   
feeling." She stroked Max and Zinc, then said, "Are you mad at me?"  
  
"Mad at you?" said Knuckles, realizing he was being lulled to sleep by her   
voice. "No, why?"  
  
"Because when Max was healing me..." She hesitated. "Well, I felt like you were   
mad at me for giving up."  
  
"I was," said Knuckles. "I didn't expect you to feel it, though."  
  
"You also made me miss the Floating Island," said Zephyer, gazing at the chao to   
avoid looking at him. "And ... I felt how much you loved me."  
  
Knuckles smiled. "Neither of which have changed." He slid closer and took her   
hands, and to his amusement she stroked and felt his hands all over, reveling in   
her newly restored fifth sense. She touched his face and hair, too, smiling.   
"The world's not real until you can touch it." She looked into his eyes, and he   
was struck by their intense shade of blue, almost violet. "Did you ever cry over   
me?" she whispered.  
  
"No," Knuckles whispered back. "But I was really close a couple of times."  
  
"Good," she whispered. For a second he thought she was going to let him kiss   
her, but she pushed him away. "Now go lay down before you fall down. You look   
like death warmed over."  
  
"I got it from you," said Knuckles, standing up and bracing himself for the long   
walk back to his room. "Goodnight, Zephyer."  
  
"Goodnight, Knux," said Zephyer, picking up her book.  
  
As the door closed behind him, Max and Zinc exchanged scornful looks. "Mush."  
  


* * *

  
  
It took Sally five days to get home.  
  
Sonic took the chaos emerald and teleported back to Central Mobius, and just as   
before, arrived in a state of exhaustion. He had to rest for a day before he and   
Sally began hiking north. Sometimes Sonic ran all out, and other times he just   
poked along. They were accompanied part of the way by Jazz and his family, who   
were also traveling north to their home in Carrotseed. They parted ways with a   
match race between Jazz and Sonic, which Sonic won by spin dashing at the last   
second.  
  
It took two days to reach Prairietown, and the Cyclone was just as they had left   
it, although the seats were wet from a recent rain. Sonic wiped them down. "If   
Tails finds out I left the Cyclone out in the weather, he'll kill me," he told   
Sally. "Don't tell him, okay?"  
  
"You got it," said Sally, laughing.  
  
Tails had told Sonic all about his battle with Robo Knux, and Sonic relayed it   
to Sally with the details exaggerated. Sally wondered how he knew some of these   
things, because Sonic had been sound asleep at the time, but listened anyway.   
She had watched everything over the chaos tracker, and had scarcely breathed   
until the chaos storm shrank to nothing and vanished, and the mysterious blip   
that was Super Tails winked out as suddenly as it had come.  
  
Several times Sonic paused and made as though to ask Sally a question, then   
changed his mind and talked about something else. Sally wondered what was on his   
mind, and noticed that he went out of his way to be kind to her. It was like the   
old days, when they had simply been fellow Freedom Fighters.   
  
Sally didn't deduce what was on Sonic's mind until they were fueling the Cyclone   
for takeoff. Sonic was down by the fuel tank, and Sally was in the copilot's   
seat. "I wonder where Destro went," she said idly. "You know, I saw him with his   
helmet off, and he was actually cute."  
  
Sonic's head jerked up. "Destro? Cute? Don't make me laugh."  
  
"He had one white ear," said Sally, watching Sonic's pupils dilate. "It made him   
look ... roguish, you know?"  
  
"He's a berserker with a sword!" said Sonic. "All he did was fight Robo Knux,   
he's not that great."  
  
Sally pursed her lips. "Sonic, are you jealous?"  
  
"No," said Sonic, reddening. "I just didn't think Destro looked any different   
from the next fox."  
  
There was a moment of silence as Sally watched Sonic. "Sonic, if you're going to   
make a move, you'd better do it soon, because once we get home, I have mountains   
of work to do."  
  
"Make a move?" said Sonic, even redder. "I don't know what you're talking   
about."  
  
"Sure you don't," said Sally, sitting back in the airplane seat. "I'm not blind,   
Sonic Hedgehog. What do you want from me? Spit it out."  
  
Sonic straightened and looked up at her. "Well, um. I kind of wanted ... I mean,   
we're friends and all that, but we're kind of drifting apart, and, you know,   
I..." He trailed off and looked miserable.  
  
Sally wanted to hear him say it. "So we're drifting apart. What should we do   
about that?" She gave him her best blonde look.  
  
Sonic dug a toe into the ground. "I want us to be better friends."  
  
He wouldn't say it, but it was a start.  
  
"All right," said Sally, smiling. "Starting now, let's be better friends."  
  
Sonic grinned, clearly thinking he had dodged a bullet.   
  
Sally didn't want to see him squirm anymore, so she changed the subject. "Do you   
think those clouds out there will slow us down?" And the topic moved on to the   
weather.  
  


* * *

  
  
By the time Sonic and Sally arrived home, Zephyer was hobbling around on her own   
and was eating everything in sight. She looked completely different without her   
metal, and was dressing in borrowed clothes from girls in the village--she had   
no clothes of her own.  
  
When Sonic went to see her, Zephyer was wearing a pair of Serena's jeans, a   
shirt with one of Sally's vests over it, and a pair of shoes that had been   
manufactured before the coup. She still sported a few bandages, and walked with   
a limp. She was in her room with a pad of paper and a pencil, which she laid   
down as Sonic walked in.  
  
"Hi Zeff," he said. "What're you writing?"  
  
"Gibberish," said Zephyer. "I have to learn to hold a pencil all over again. How   
was your trip?"  
  
"Good," said Sonic, closing the door. "I, uh, wanted to give that ring back." He   
pulled off his glove and slid the ring off his finger.  
  
"So it didn't work out?" said the echidna, putting the ring in the box with the   
others.  
  
"Not how I expected," said Sonic, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I never got   
the nerve to ask her."  
  
"Knuckles only asked me the first time because we thought we would both die in   
the next few minutes," said Zephyer. "Otherwise, it's something you have to work   
up to."  
  
"So I gathered," said Sonic wryly. "I'm going to try to help her with her work."   
He pointed a finger down his throat.  
  
"Hey, if you don't give up anything, you don't really like her," said Zephyer.  
  
"I know, I keep thinking that," said Sonic. "Knux has totally put me to shame   
with this derobotization stuff. Where is he, by the way?"  
  
"The island," said Zephyer. "He couldn't stand being away from it any more." Her   
face fell at the thought.  
  
Sonic watched her. "Why don't you elope?"  
  
"I've thought about it," said Zephyer sheepishly, "but I think we owe it to   
everybody to have a proper wedding."  
  
"Set a date yet?"  
  
Zephyer shook her head. "We're thinking June, but it depends on how fast I   
recover. Moving out to the island now would kill me." She rolled up one sleeve   
and showed Sonic the edge of a bandage that covered her shoulder.  
  
Sonic shook his head. "Man, you're lucky to be alive."  
  
"Tell me about it," said Zephyer. "The scariest thing isn't that, though."  
  
"What?"  
  
She leaned forward and whispered, "I have to marry him now!"  
  
"But I thought you were in love with the guy," said Sonic, baffled.  
  
Zephyer toyed with her pencil. "I am. But it still scares me to death. What if   
I've made some kind of mistake?"  
  
"About what?" said Sonic. "Knux just gave you ten years off his life. If you   
broke up with him now, it'd kill him."  
  
"I know, and I don't want to break up, not really," said Zephyer. "I just feel   
like there's a catch somewhere that I haven't figured out."  
  
"I know what it is," said Sonic, grinning. "You're marrying Knuckles, the   
walking volcano. Any other girl would run screaming in the opposite direction."  
  
"Well, he's marrying Zephyer, the bullheaded moron," said Zephyer. "We're   
perfect for each other."  
  
"He's a headache and you're a pill," said Sonic, and ducked as Zephyer threw her   
pencil at him.  
  
"Look at it this way," said Sonic. "Sally told me this when we were flying home.   
Out of all the bad stuff that happened last week, good came out of it. Sally and   
I went on a wild goose chase, but we got to know each other better, and we got to   
meet Jazz Jackrabbit's family. I wore myself out on the teleport back, but I got   
here in time. Tails and Destro were smart enough to defeat Robo Knux. You got   
derobotized in the nick of time, and here you are."  
  
"All the clouds had silver linings," said Zephyer. "What happened to Destro?"  
  
"He hightailed it," said Sonic, getting up. "Maybe he'll come back someday, who   
knows? I'd better go now, Sal will think I've reneged on my help offer." He   
pointed a finger down his throat again and left. Zephyer grinned after him, and   
picked up her notepad.  
  


* * *

  
  
Destro stood in a phone booth two miles from Carrotseed, and fingered the two   
coins needed to make a call. It was three weeks later, and he had made his way   
back to Central Mobius with only the Lightgiver for company. Destro had had a   
lot of time to think about what had happened, and had finally figured out why he   
had been thrown in with Cream. She had battered down the walls around his heart   
and helped him see that emotions were not bad things. Or, rather, the Lightgiver   
had used Cream to show him this.  
  
Destro deposited his coins and dialed a number. He waited as it rang, then said,   
"Hello Jazz, this is Destro. You wouldn't happen to want a tutor to train Cream   
to control her chaos field, would you?" He listened for a moment, a smile   
stealing across his face. "Yes sir, I can start tomorrow. Thank you."  
  
Destro hung up and gazed at the houses of Carrotseed in the distance. For the   
first time in his life, he would have a place to call home.  
  
  
  
The End.  
  
  
  
  


This story archived at: The Domain of NetRaptor

  



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